The Short Version
Even an average, ordinary mom can make a difference.
The Highlights
- One year ago I knew almost nothing about education policy or political activism.
- Then my daughter started to suffer heightened anxiety due to STAAR test prep stress.
- I began to learn more about standardized testing and corporate education reform and decided I had to take action.
My Story
One year ago, I knew next to nothing about education policy. One year
ago, I had never written a letter to my state or federal representatives. In
fact, I’m not even sure I could have told you their names. One year ago, I had
never given public testimony before lawmakers or been interviewed for a TV news
story about education. This wasn’t even on my radar. One year ago, I had not
been to Washington, DC—not even as a tourist. My how things can change in one
year.
One year ago, I was just a mom of two elementary-aged kiddos—first and
third graders at the time. I had always been involved with their schools,
helping out in their Kindergarten classrooms, working at the school book fair,
helping with homework. We were just a typical family in a typical neighborhood.
Then I started to notice a change in my third grader. She had always loved
school and had been enthusiastic about heading out the door to school each day,
but not anymore. She didn’t want to go to school, homework was becoming a
battle, and she spent hours—yes, hours—after school each day in her room in
tears. She was having trouble sleeping, didn’t want to participate in
activities she normally enjoyed, and just wasn’t her bubbly self anymore. As I
talked to her, I learned that the source of her new-found dislike for school
was the upcoming STAAR test. She said that STAAR was a really important test
and that all they did at school anymore was work to get ready for it. I asked
her what would happen if she didn’t pass the STAAR. She didn’t know but she was
sure it was something really bad.
Thus began my journey into education activism. I started by talking to
a friend who is a former elementary school teacher. This conversation got me
reading blogs, and then books, and watching documentaries. If it had to do with
education policy, I devoured it. I learned all that I could about standardized
testing including the fact that it is just one part of the complex “education
reform” machine that includes charter schools, vouchers, teacher evaluation
(VAM), the de-professionalization of teachers, parent trigger laws, online
schools, school turnarounds, and the privatization of public education. Through
my journey, it became clear to me that I could not, in good conscience, allow
my daughter to participate in the STAAR testing, and we refused testing and
kept her home on testing days. But it also became clear that this was not
enough. I could not stop with just shielding my daughter from one test. I had
to help every child by helping to change the system. And so, I became an
education activist.
In the last year, I have written letters, spoken with school
superintendents, administrators, and teachers about education issues, testified
twice before the Texas Senate Education Committee, organized community forums
and documentary screenings, and been interviewed by television and print news
reporters for stories on education. I have made valuable connections within my
district, across the state, and around the country. I founded Parents Across
America-Northeast Texas (PAA-NETX) and attended the PAA national conference in
Washington, DC. My goal is to change education policy by educating other
parents and the community at large about education issues and encouraging
activism on these issues. Let’s give our children the education they deserve.
Lessons Learned (and still being learned)
- Don’t be afraid to take a stand. It’s not always easy to speak up. My voice trembled the entire two minutes during my first public testimony. But I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
- You may find allies in unexpected places. Once you begin speaking out, you may be surprised how many people feel the same way as you.
- Ask “what makes it good?” When someone says something—a school, a teacher, a policy—is good, ask him, “What makes it good?” This can be a great starting point for a conversation about what is truly valuable in education.
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