Real Life NWEA MAP Experiences, Part II

You might have noticed that I am part of a group, Ann Arbor STOP: Stop Overtesting Our Pupils, which is working to reduce the amount of standardized testing in the Ann Arbor district. We have a facebook page (which you can join)
a petition (which you can still sign),
and we are hoping to get more discussions going in the district.

Anyway, probably because of all of this,  I've been getting emails and tweets about the testing from parents and from teachers.

And in addition to complaints about the actual tests, this fall I had another complaint to add. The district higher-ups (Dr. Green & Co.) told the schools to give the MAP test on Yom Kippur--a three-star holiday on which no tests are supposed to be given because of the district's own policy--which says:

School district employees may not schedule any of the following during these (three star) holidays.

   1. Major exams
   2. Reviews for major exams
   3. Standardized tests 

[Read the full policy here.]

Yes, you read that correctly: Standardized Tests. The district said, "Oh, it's not a test. It's an 'assessment.'  To be perfectly honest, and to speak very politely, that's. . . balderdash. . . hogwash. . . or more honestly. . . bullshit.

And what this meant that my son. . . who was out for Yom Kippur. . . had to miss some additional classes that his other classmates did not miss. For a standardized test I don't want him taking.

And this is in clear violation of the district's OWN policy. I didn't write the policy. The district did. Follow it!