As District Deeds mentioned in the post titled San Diego Unified Elementary Superintendent  Marten and Board of Education “Opt Out” of Accountability , the drive for Marten and the SDUSD Board of Education to Opt Out of standardized testing accountability is a disservice to ALL SDUSD Stakeholders…especially those “students of color, low income students, students with disabilities and English Learners.

Apparently many of the national civil and human rights organizations feel the same way.

The Leadership Conference – “The nation’s premier civil and human right organization”  posted a news release called: Civil Rights Groups: “We Oppose Anti-Testing Efforts”.

The first paragraph of the news release states:

“Today, 12 national civil and human rights groups announced their opposition to anti-testing efforts springing up across the country that are discouraging students from taking standardized tests and subverting the validity of data about educational outcomes. Data obtained through some standardized tests are particularly important to the civil rights community because they are the only available, consistent, and objective source of data about disparities in educational outcomes, even while vigilance is always required to ensure tests are not misused. These data are used to advocate for greater resource equity in schools and more fair treatment for students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities, and English learners. Anti-testing efforts have resulted in statewide bills and local pressure on schools to discourage students from taking assessments, which would undermine the validity of this data.”

The 12 National Civil and Human Rights groups include:

• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• The American Association of University Women (AAUW)
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
• Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA)
• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• NAACP
• National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
• National Urban League (NUL)
• Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

These highly respected organizations state in their opening paragraph:

“For the civil rights community, data provide the power to advocate for greater equality under the law. It’s the reason we’ve fought to make sure that we’re counted equally in every aspect of American life, such as in employment, the criminal justice system, and consumer lending. 

Our commitment to fair, unbiased, and accurate data collection and reporting resonates greatest in our work to improve education. The educational outcomes for the children we represent are unacceptable by almost every measurement. And we rely on the consistent, accurate, and reliable data provided by annual statewide assessments to advocate for better lives and outcomes for our children. These data are critical for understanding whether and where there is equal opportunity.”

The REAL question is:

Who do you believe?

The 12 Revered National Civil and Human Rights Organizations whose organizations are dedicated to equity for all and  strongly advocate for the Testing and Measurements

OR

The rookie Superintendent Marten and the SDUSD Board of Education who want to avoid any and all ways to use hard independent data to measure their District performance?

District Deeds highly recommends you read this extremely relevant news release in its entirety…it is a compelling argument for an INDEPENDENT measurement of the SDUSD performance that cannot be manipulated by Marten or the SDUSD Board of Educuation.