Thanks to conversations with Dr. Gary Thompson, a noted Utah child psychologist who has spoken out against the Common Core, we have learned that new federal regulations go into effect on September 21, 2015, barring states from using alternative assessments for special education students, with the exception of a very restricted number of students they label "severely cognitively impaired."

Dr. Thompson has shared his concerns about this change, which he says the US Department of Education (USDE) based on "fraudulent and unethical use of psychology research." He has written a powerful, detailed critique of the USDE's rationale for this rule change -- that is, "new research" that supposedly supports the idea that students with disabilities can perform at the same grade level as traditional students, and can be tested fairly on the same test used by traditional students, especially if his or her teacher is doing a good job and the tests used are from the "next generation" of tests (i.e. PARCC and SBACC). USDE states:

Carefully fact-checking USDE's citations, Dr. Thompson discovered that every finding was compromised. Some studies were directly paid for by the USDE and its partners, some were not peer reviewed, and others tested one age or ability grouping of children but applied the findings to a different age or ability grouping. Some claims were not supported by any research study whatsoever.

Dr. Thompson's conclusion is that "The US Department of Education's interpretation of cited 'studies' used to justify policy changes have been dangerously manipulated and are utilized to achieve political goals at the expense of millions of public school children."

So, for reasons for which USDE has no legitimate basis, millions of our most vulnerable children are about to be subjected to tests which PAA believes are already harming the general population of students emotionally and academically.

What can we do? Opting students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) out of standardized tests is one good response. Dr. Thompson also suggests we call for congressional hearings on the faulty "research" behind this latest top-down testing mandate.

Still time to impact ESEA

The Dyett hunger strike has gone on for a month now with little indication that Mayor Emanuel is concerned.

Parents in Chicago are protesting the closure and potential privatization of Dyett High School, the area's last open enrollment high school.

Dyett parents and community supporters have spent months  working with educators to develop a strong proposal for transitioning the school to a global leadership and green technology school, but their ideas are falling on deaf ears at City Hall and in district offices.

See story below for more on growing national support for the hunger strikers.

What can you do to support the Dyett hunger strikers?

Even if you're not in Chicago to help out, you can still like the Dyett Global Leadership and Green Technology Facebook Page here, read their excellent school transformation proposal here, and donate to the hunger strike (via its sponsoring organization, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization) here.