Your child's future depends on how well he or she does on state standardized tests known as the ABC's. But the tests are not designed to measure individual progress, may be racially and culturally biased, and will likely result in thousands of students unfairly being held back to repeat a grade.

The Common Sense Foundation is committed to fighting the injustices inherent to high-stakes testing. Thanks to a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Common Sense has formed a fifteen member commission that will hold town hall discussions across North Carolina. The Commission's most important role is to listen as you describe your child's experience with the North Carolina's ABC Testing Program. At each meeting, parents, teachers, community leaders, and PTA members will share their concerns about high stakes testing. The Commissioners will talk with you about high stakes testing and take suggestions for making the evaluation of students fair and just. These policy recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education at the end of the year.

The Commission also will provide a forum for parents to learn what they can do to protect their children. The Commissioners include civil rights and education experts, parents, teachers, special education advocates, a school psychologist, a testing expert, and a state senator.

Daniella Cook, Organizer for the Commission on Fair Testing, is available to speak, free of charge, to parents and teachers in your community so they may learn what they can do about high stakes testing.

For more information please contact:

Daniella Cook
Organizer for the Commission on Fair Testing
(919) 821-9270
Daniella@common-sense.org

CO-CHAIRS

Senator Jeanne Lucas, NC State Senator for 13th District Durham County

Arthur Griffin, Jr., Chair , Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board, Mecklenburg County

COMMISSIONERS

Rhonda Armistead, School Psychologist, President of NC School Psychologists Association, Mecklenburg County

Jack Boger, Professor, UNC-CH School of Law, Constitutional Law and Educational Law, Orange County

Rukiya Dillahunt, Teacher & Activist, Wake County

Malcolm Goff, Elementary School Art Teacher and member of PACE (People About Changing Education), Durham County

Howard Machtinger, Director, UNC-CH Teaching Fellows, Former High School Teacher, Durham County

Susan Monroe, Parent & Special Education Advocate, McDowell County

Ofelia Oronoz, Former Spanish Teacher, Advocate for the Latino Community, Duplin County

Blanche Penn, Parent Advisory and Former PTA Council President for Charlotte Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg County

Juvencio Rocha-Peralta, President of the Latin-American Coalition, Parent Advisory Team - NC Justice Center, Duplin County

Cathy Rouse, Parent & Former PTA President, Cumberland County

Carol Sawyer, Coordinator of THINC (Testing's Harmful in North Carolina), Mecklenburg County

Beth Silberman, Parent, Case Manager for Durham Guardian Ad Litem Program, Durham County

Pamlyn Stubbs, NAACP State Education Committee, Guilford County

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