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Parents for Fair and Effective Teacher Assessment

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CMS Plans to Continue Testing Madness
Public Needs to Continue Speaking Out
On August 26, members of the Mecklenburg ACTS steering committee met with CMS's Chief Academic Officer Ann Clark and Chief Human Resource Officer Dan Habrat. It was clear from the meeting that despite the public outcry of last spring and the resignation of Peter Gorman, CMS will continue to expand standardized testing in 2011-12, pressing toward the goal of testing every child in every subject every year.

Mecklenburg ACTS continues to oppose this testing, which reduces learning time, fosters a narrowed "teaching to the test" mentality, and has never been shown to improve either teaching or learning (for the research that backs up these conclusions, see "Why More Standardized Tests Won't Improve Education," written by Mecklenburg ACTS' Pamela Grundy and posted on the Parents Across America website).

How to Sign up to Speak at a Board of Education Meeting
Citizens have the opportunity to address the Board of Education at the first regular board meeting of each month. Speakers will be given three minutes. Call Board Services Office at 980-343-5139 before noon of meeting day or see staff personnel prior to the start of the meeting to register.

Board of Education emails:
Erika Elllis Stewart <ericka4cmsboard@yahoo.com>
Mary McCray <marymccray@bellsouth.net>>
Rhonda Lennon <rhonda.lennon@cms.k12.nc.us>
Tim Morgan <tim.morgan@cms.k12.nc.us>
Tom Tate <tom.tate@cms.k12.nc.us>
Joyce Waddell <joyce.waddell@cms.k12.nc.us>
Richard McElrath <richard.mcelrath@cms.k12.nc.us>
Eric C. Davis <ericc.davis@cms.k12.nc.us>

Mecklenburg ACTS Calls on CMS to Suspend
Summative Testing

"We call on CMS to suspend the summative exams scheduled for May. In addition, we call on the school board to take the money designated for this testing program in the 2011-12 budget and redirect it to reducing teacher layoffs. Finally, we call on state legislators to respect the concerns of our community and refuse to support HB 546, the bill that would enable CMS to implement its pay for performance plan despite these community misgivings." read the entire statement >>

MecklenburgACTS Opposes State Pay-for-Performance Legislation

• Use the State's bill lookup to follow the progress of the legislation. Type in H 546 >>
• MecklenburgACTS statement >>

The bill has passed the Education Committeean by full House on April 28, 2011.

Express your concerns about House Bill HB 546 "Alternative Salary Plans for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools." Tell them that the bill creates more than 50 standarized tests and allows a special salary rules for teachers in Mecklenburg Co. On to the NC Senate.

click here for Senate Education Committee emails>>

click here for list of all House members emails>>

Learn More about Pay for Performance

If you have questions about the petition or would like someone to come to speak to a group about it, please e-mail us.

Printer friendly version of the petition available here >>

• For more about Pay for Performance, with links to research studies click here >>
• To download a printable fact sheet on Pay for Performance, click here >>
• For Charlotte Observer coverage of Pay for Performance and "value added" calculation in CMS, click here >>
• Read the Charlotte Observer opinion piece by Pamela Grundy and Carol Sawyer "Stand Up for Teachers Now." >>

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