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4 Hyde Park Herald, February 26, 2014Editorial:Support Murray’sstand on testingMurray Language Academy’s local school council isofficially putting Chicago Public Schools on notice that itis tired of students and teachers being put through theringer for the sake of a battery of standardized tests of questionablevalue.Their opposition comes in the form of a resolution, so it is hardlyearth shattering, but it may well be a harbinger of things to come.The question we have is whether Hyde Parkers are willing tosupport the local school council (LSC) at Murray, 5335 S.Kenwood Ave., and at other public schools, should they followsuit. And what, beyond passing resolutions, are we willing to do?It is no secret that standardized tests are making schools joylessplaces. With all of the other challenges public school teachers andadministrators have, stifling opportunities for innovation by forcingteachers to teach to one-size-fits-all tests seems completely out ofstep with the times. In the private schools where the politicians andpolicymakers who implement these rules send their children,emphasis is on freedom and inspiration. These, it seems, arequalities reserved for the education of the children of the elite few.There are few teachers who will defend the current system ofpublic education, but they will all tell you that it is going to take awell-orchestrated opposition to truly push back against the glut ofstandardized testing that even elementary school children are nowforced to endure. We are hopeful that this step taken by Murray’sLSC will inspire other school councils.Ultimately, however, it will take the whole community rallyingaround this brave stand in order for words to translate into action.Local school council elections are in April. Hyde Park couldbegin a sea change in Chicago against standardized testing abuseby voting in critics of high-stakes testing. A test boycott in thepresident’s — and education secretary’s — home neighborhoodwould send a powerful message across the country.Parents are understandably intimidated by the phalanx ofprofessionals who warn them that they are jeopardizing theirchildren’s future if they don’t test them every which way thefederal government demands. It will take a lot of support tocounteract that intimidation. Is Hyde Park willing?In years past, our community has been at the vanguard of publiceducation innovation. During the recent teachers strike, Hyde Parkwas outstanding in its support of the teachers. We can shine evenbrighter by standing behind the Murray LSC and encouragingother LSCs to adopt a similar resolution condemning high-stakestesting. And we can go further than that by supporting a boycottof unnecessary tests.The most important thing we can do for the children of Hyde Parkright now is to protect their right to be children – and not cogs.New director for U. of C.’s Delhi siteBy LINDSAY WELBERSStaff WriterThe University of Chicago named Bharath Visweswariah, a businessand management consultant in India, as the executive director of theuniversity’s Center in Delhi earlier this month.The center is expected to open in March. Visweswariah will create andoversee administrative functions, staffing the center and implementing astrategic plan provided by Gary Tubb, the faculty director at the center,and its faculty steering committee.Visweswariah has worked at CEB Asia, a publicly traded, memberbasedcompany that advises more than 6,000 businesses from 111countries.The University of Chicago opened its Center in Beijing in 2010 andthe Center in Paris in 2004. It also has campuses in London andSingapore.The university is also working to open a center in Hong Kong that willhouse a Booth School of Business.l.welbers@hpherald.comA protest against theCAC electionTo the Editor:A Hyde Park-KenwoodCommunity Action Council (HP-K CAC) election recall isrequested. Wednesday, Feb. 19,the HP-K CAC elections wereheld at Kenwood Academy fortwo co-chairs and two secretarieswith three candidates each, but Icontest the HP-K CAC elections. Iwas one of three candidates whoran for co-chair of the HP-K CACto assist community and parentsto create Level 1 schools throughfamily and communityengagement. I became temporaryleadership by attending HP-KCAC meetings: planning, e-mailing and discussing crucialeducational issues with the intentof creating a three-point plan tosave our traditional neighborhoodpublic schools — Canter andDyett — from closing. Ourcommunity needs and deservesneighborhood public schools inwalking distance of their homes—elements of citizenship anddemocracy should not becompromised.Before we started the HP-KCAC, we mobilized at Canterschool — next door to KenwoodAcademy — then we heldmeetings at Kenwood AcademyKing Room and Little Theatre.Though the HP-K CAC formedfrom a “Save Canter and Dyett”theme, there was less interest insaving these schools and a threepointplan over time. Instead, theHP-K CAC kept looking forbusiness interests and somewhatdisregarding education interest.For instance, when I submitted mysuggestion for the three-pointplan, the CAC liaison told me thatthere was not enough interest inmy three point plan because theCAC was not fully formed, eventhough this liaison told me that wewere an official CAC at the All-CAC meeting. HP-K CAC alsointroduced the group as the 9thCAC to form city-wide.As my temporary leadership rolein the CAC continued, I noticedthat more and more favoritism wasbeing shown toward anothercandidate for co-chair.The candidate called a meeting ather home. Hyde Park-KenwoodCommunity Conference (HP-KCC) leaders initially started theorganization of the CAC, but werenot invited. Later I was told by aHP-K CC Schools Committeerepresentative that the HP-K CCdid not want that meeting heldwithout them present. As we metthe “winning” candidate wasgiven the position as point personto the CAC liaison (while she andI were serving as Temporary HP-K CAC leadership) by a CACmember at a meeting with onlyfour CAC membersattending. Afterward I sent an e-mail for my interest in being apoint person to the “winningcandidate” and she did not agreewith me being point person alongwith her. She took on the pointperson position as CAC liaisonwithout a vote of the full CAC.This was in a sense“gerrymandering,” and takingpower that was not approved bywell-organized communityorganizations.Later, the “winningcandidate” was told to present theagenda before and for the electionon Feb. 19 by a member of theCAC. Again, the full CAC did notvote on her being point personwhile running for the position ofco-chair. There were no votewatchers assigned to watch the votecounting. There were only about 40voters in attendance. The CACliaison told us that all could vote.At the Feb. 5 meeting held at the“winning” co-chair’s home, it wassaid that they were going todisregard dates set for CACscitywide to achieve certain goals,not mentioning all the e-mails IMail: Letters to the Editor,Hyde Park Herald,1435 E. Hyde Park Blvd.,Chicago, IL 60615Fax: 773-643-8542E-mail: Letters@hpherald.comLetters are due Wednesday by noonand must include a name, addressand daytime telephone numberor e-mail address. Letters maybe edited for space.sent with my website targeted athelping parents to build theirchild’s reading skills and meetthose goals — my suggestion forthe three-point plan on mywebsite. They never commentedon it through e-mails, at meetings,or in person — it was as though Iwas a “ghost” CAC member whenit came to visiting my website andparticipating in planning andtasks.More importantly I suggestedthat we needed an “agent ofchange” — improve level 3schools — that could beownership of reading levels(reading more on independentreading levels for mastery whilepreparing for instructional levelsand never being tested onfrustration levels) as testing onfrustration levels is unreliable andinvalid in the school communityI have contacted CPS Network 9out of the 13 networks city-wideto file a complaint. They arepreparing the complaint as of thismoment. I ask for another electionthat is fair and democratic withoutfavoritism, and all candidates beallowed vote watchers or pollwatchers to verify count.Patricia A. BreckenridgeHyde Park-KenwoodTemporary HP-K CACLeadershipMurray local school council statement on testingNote from the local school council: The followingresolution was approved at the Murray LanguageAcademy LSC meeting on Feb. 19, 2014 by a 9-0 votewith one absence and the principal abstaining. Forfurther information about the Murray LSC resolutionplease contact Secretary Michael J. Scott atmjscottuic@gmail.com or 773-957-6953. Furtherinformation about the national resolution can befound at timeoutfromtesting.org/national resolution.WHEREAS, our nation’s future well-being relies ona high-quality public education system that preparesall students for college, careers, citizenship andlifelong learning, and strengthens the nation’s socialand economic well-being; andWHEREAS, our nation’s school systems have beenspending growing amounts of time, money andenergy on high-stakes standardized testing, in whichstudent performance on standardized tests is used tomake major decisions affecting individual students,educators and schools; andWHEREAS, the overreliance on high-stakesstandardized testing in state and federalaccountability systems is undermining educationalquality and equity in U.S. public schools byhampering educators’ efforts to focus on the broadrange of learning experiences that promote theinnovation, creativity, problem solving,collaboration, communication, critical thinking anddeep subject-matter knowledge that will allowstudents to thrive in a democracy and an increasinglyglobal society and economy; andWHEREAS, it is widely recognized thatstandardized testing is an inadequate and oftenunreliable measure of both student learning andeducator effectiveness; andWHEREAS, the over-emphasis on standardizedtesting has caused considerable collateral damage intoo many schools, including narrowing thecurriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love oflearning, pushing students out of school, drivingexcellent teachers out of the profession, andundermining school climate; andWHEREAS, high-stakes standardized testing hasnegative effects for students from all backgrounds,and especially for low-income students, Englishlanguage learners, children of color, and those withdisabilities; andWHEREAS, the culture and structure of the systemsin which students learn must change in order to fosterengaging school experiences that promote joy inlearning, depth of thought and breadth of knowledgefor students; therefore be itRESOLVED that the Murray Language AcademyLocal School Council calls on the governor, statelegislature and state education boards andadministrators to reexamine public schoolaccountability systems in this state, and to develop asystem based on multiple forms of assessment whichdoes not require extensive standardized testing, moreaccurately reflects the broad range of studentlearning, and is used to support students and improveSee STATEMENT on page 9