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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book Orthodox Church raising funds to build new home What does Uncle Foods weekly dinner mean to you? A place for food and fellowship Mother's Day brunch supports World Peace and Prayer Day Education Ashland Middle School students put their Spanish-speaking skills to the test Grizzlies claim speech championship Levy backers eye final push Neal Simon: This is a test Grade-school philanthropist Environment Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Stopping fire in its tracks Some trails, roads remain closed due to controlled burn Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Business Ashland Safeway closes Thursday, to reopen as Haggen on Sunday Cars We Remember: Car enthusiast wishes new model designs were ‘more different’ Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Silvio Calabi: Taxis and traffic in the olde worlde Airport Day returns May 16 Politics and elections Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Gray's death Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election State News Lack of snow nixes ski portion of popular Central Oregon race Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries R. Charles "Charlie" Snyder Death Notices Harry D. Detwiler Death Notices Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ashland boys sweep doubles, beat GP Living on the edge SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team See you in August Wry & Ginger: A pitch to make national pastime better High school Ashland boys sweep doubles, beat GP Living on the edge SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team Ashland softball team rolls past Springfield Penn, Norvell, Baldrica pace Ashland track team at Crater Southern Oregon University SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team See you in August Same old Raiders Ashland softball team rolls past Springfield Who's got next? Voices Latest Stories Our View: Forest work is a bargain Letters to the Editor, May 8 Jeffrey Gillespie: Is there a right to offend? Dianne Williamson: Let’s end the marathon bomber saga Editor's Notes: This, that and the other Editorial Our View: Forest work is a bargain Our View: What price history? Our View: Waging peace after war Our View: Rail car roulette Our View: Reading the tea leaves Letters Letters to the Editor, May 8 Letters to the Editor, May 6 Letters to the Editor, May 5 Letters to the Editor, May1 Letters to the Editor, April 30 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Guest Opinion: Making conservation a game Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Columns Jeffrey Gillespie: Is there a right to offend? Editor's Notes: This, that and the other Mochas, Midrash and Mysteries: Balancing the gift and the task Chris Honoré: A wider context rarely discussed Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest Movie listings: May 8-14 Dancing People Company presents 'Salon Series' 5 picks for live entertainment Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability 'Arsenic and Old Lace' has killer charm Some OSF crew members seek to unionize Music The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Interview: Country singer Suzy Bogguss enjoying life on the road The Farr Side: CMAs do it right, in many ways Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music Visual Art Movies Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Tom Hardy adapts to life as Mad Max Movie listings: May 8-14 Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Food and Drink Taqueria Picaro takes over Tabu space Owner of Mix and Amuse to bring Flip burger joint to Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Looking Up: Once in a while a star blows up Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day Orthodox Church raising funds to build new home Antionette Kerr: Mother’s Day founder challenged commercialism Breathe easier with whole-house air purification Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Mocha Musings Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Forest work is a bargain ... Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, May 8 ... Our View: Forest work is a bargain ... Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, May 8 ... Neal Simon: This is a test By Neal Simon More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Neal Simon More Content Now Posted Apr. 30, 2015 @ 9:09 am By Neal Simon More Content Now Posted Apr. 30, 2015 @ 9:09 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> April 2015. Years from now, it may be remembered as the month New York’s public education train finally went off the tracks for good. The month began with the state Legislature acquiescing to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s radical teacher reform proposals in exchange for the governor agreeing to drastically underfund New York’s public education system. The month is ending with hundreds of thousands of New York school children “opting out” of critical state assessments in math and English — a protest, by parents, against the national Common Core learning standards and “high stakes” testing. The opt-out tally is more than 300,000, according to United to Counter the Core. That’s a large, embarrassing number for state and federal leaders who brought Common Core to New York, but don’t worry about that. They’re sure not. Instead of expressing distress with the opt-outers, these same legislative leaders are cheering them on. Both the state Senate and Assembly are considering legislation that would guarantee parents’ right to refuse federally mandated standardized testing for their children. There are signs of ambivalence in some education circles. Teachers were burned by Common Core: blindsided by the mishandled roll-out, constricted because of the rigid modules. Good will is not existent. The opt-out bandwagon will soon be standing room only. Congressman Tom Reed has climbed aboard. He made his position clear, sort of: “Tests are hard, I hated them too,” he told reporters. Nah, he didn’t really say that. But his actual words did set a high bar for political pandering. Reed hit the punch list of evil, sure to conjure a visceral, angry response from every reader: “Common Core,” “bureaucrat,” “test,” “Washington,” “Albany.” I’m surprised he didn’t work in “ISIS.” “Tens of thousands of parents have already opted their children out of required public school testing, a protest against Common Core curriculum and the philosophy of ‘teaching to the test.’ This action has sent a clear message to lawmakers: parents should decide what is in their child’s best interest, not bureaucrats in Albany or Washington,” Reed said in a press release. Nobody likes bureaucrats, especially tricky test-writing bureaucratic functionaries from yucky, Godless Albany. Have you ever been in that town? I have, barely escaping with my life after a wild, 80 mph ride through downtown while sitting in the back seat of a taxi. Compared to Albany, Sodom and Gomorrah are like Disneyland. I’m sure glad we have an expert like Reed around to explain the worthlessness of exams. For a time there, I had fallen under the sway of a Common Core Svengali — the sort of test-promoting bureaucrat that we need to drive out of our public schools. Resorting to fancy, two syllable words, Arkport Superintendent Dr. Glenn Niles used this space a couple of weeks ago and tried to pull a fast one over district parents. Just one caution before you read further. Dr. Niles uses red flag words like “skills,” “knowledge,” “learning,” and, worst of all, “standardized.” “Standardized tests serve as an objective assessment of all students at a particular grade level and as a measuring stick of students’ understanding of the skills and knowledge embodied in the New York State Learning Standards. Without standardized testing, there is no way to compare students in one school or district with students in other schools and other locations, or against any objective measure of achievement.” That’s enough from you, Dr. Niles! And by the way, what kind of doctor are you? A doctor of deception is what I think. Or maybe you are the only reasonable man left in the room. Curiously, there is one large group of people who have been completely ignored. They are not being praised by their congressman. There are no bills of support in the Legislature. I am talking about the millions of children who were not opted out by their parents. They survived six days of exams. In the current environment, they are the rebels. Neal Simon is the city editor of The (Hornell, N.Y.) Evening Tribune. By Neal Simon More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Neal Simon More Content Now Posted Apr. 30, 2015 @ 9:09 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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