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Books New Book Challenges Schools’ ‘High Stakes Testing’ By Donovan Smith Special To The Skanner News J esse Hagopian boasts a lot of titles, but at the core he is an educator. Hagopian is a teacher at Garfield High School in the rapidly gentrifying Central District in Seattle. He recently released his first book, “More than A Score: A New Uprising Against High Stakes Test- ing,” which analyzes the history of standardized test- ing in America and its close-ties to institutional racism in the country. The Skanner News’ Dono- van M. Smith spoke with Hagopian after an event he organized last week with the 1968 Games in Mexico — to discuss his book. The Skanner News: Give our readers a general outline of what your role in Seat- tle’s education system has been. Jesse Hagopian: I teach here at Garfield High School and I’m co-advisor to the Black Student Union here. And two years ago our faculty voted unanimously to refuse to give a standard- ized test Measures of Academic Progress [also known as] the MAP—we thought it was harmful to our kids. They threatened all the teachers who refused with a 10 day suspension without pay. The teachers didn’t back down, and in Seattle. And that move- ment helped to ignite a movement around the coun- try where more and more teachers were refusing to give the test; students are walking out in mass like in Colorado—they had the largest walkout in probably U.S. history against high stakes tests recently; and parents are opting their kids out of the test, and it’s become the largest move- ment against high stakes testing in U.S. history. So my book is a chronical of that movement. It has an introduction by former Assistant Secretary of Edu- cation Diane Ravitch. It also has the stories of the parents who opted their kids out—why they did it. The There’s a recent study from Boston University which reveals that the number one outcome of attaching high stakes to high school graduation is increased incarceration rates Olympic legend John Car- los — who famously raised his fist for “Black Power” at instead the district had to cancel the test, and it’s now gone from the high schools stories of the kids who led walkouts refusing to take the tests and stories of PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED Teacher-activist Jesse Hagopian ties education reform to #BlackLivesMatter movement John Carlos, 1968 Olympic medalist (in back) and writer Dave Zirin (on right) pose with the Garfield High School Black Student Union and their advisor Jesse Hagopian (second from left) before ‘Black Power to #BlackLivesMatter: A Forum with 1968 Olympic Medalist John Carlos,’ hosted by the Garfield High School BSU at the Quincy Jones Auditorium, Jan. 22. Speakers focused on the relationship between events in 1968, the current #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the significance of youth involvement in both. teachers from around coun- try refusing to give it. So it’s a book that’s a testament to the resistance to this cor- porate education reform and this multi-billion dollar test- ing industry that’s trying to reduce the intellectual process of teaching and learning to a single number. And then they can use that number to label our schools ‘failing’ so they can close them, so they can deny stu- dents graduation so they can bust up the teacher’s union and fire teachers. I’m just glad that this book can be part of that resistance to this corporate reform. TSN: The #BlackLives- Matter movement is kind of new. Does your in? Hagopian: I think it real- ly does, because people should know the origins of high stake testing. Where does standardized come See BOOK on page 11 We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? Page 8 The Portland and Seattle Skanner January 28, 2015
