PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Date: May 11, 2005


FOURTH GRADER SUSPENDED FOR FAILURE TO FINISH WASL

 

Contacts: Juanita Doyon, Director, Parent Empowerment Network/Mothers Against WASL,                            Spanaway, 253/973-1593


An Aberdeen School District 4th grader has been suspended from school for 5 days, following what the principal described as “blatant defiance and insubordination.” The student completed the WASL test but was unable to answer one of the essay questions on the Writing WASL. The student was suspended from May 9, 2005 to May 13, 2005.

 

During WASL testing, the student was directed, on six separate occasions, to complete the writing section. According to the student’s mother, Amanda Wolfe, her son did not understand how to respond the WASL writing topic. Ms. Wolfe was contacted by the school principal, with a request that she come to the school and direct her son to answer the question. Upon doing so, she found her son to be distressed because of the continued insistence of the teachers and principal that he must answer a question he did not understand.

 

According to Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction policy and RCW 28A.635.040, it is unlawful to “directly or indirectly assist a person to answer any question.” By interfering with the testing process and directing the student on “six separate occasions” to answer the specific question, school staff violated this law.

 

In a letter to Ms. Wolfe, the principal of Central Park School, Olivia McCarthy, states that the consequence of the student’s “decision” not to answer the WASL task is a “particularly egregious wound” to other students and the school.

 

Ms. Wolfe states that her son “is a very good student and has never been in trouble before. He gets very good grades and is above his fourth grade average.”

 

“This situation is one more demonstration of WASL insanity. The test has taken over our schools and has, unfortunately, done away with good sense on the part of many administrators,” said Juanita Doyon, organizer of Mothers Against WASL and director of the newly formed nonprofit Parent Empowerment Network. “I am so glad Ms. Wolfe has found our organization. It is time for parents to join together and rise up against these appalling violations of student and parent rights that are taking place around the state.”

 

Ms. Wolfe previously asked to see her son’s completed WASL test and was denied her parental right to do so. She has now cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and has formally made the request to see her son’s WASL test.

 

Central Park School
601 School Road
Aberdeen, WA 98520

 

 

May 6, 2005

Dear Ms. Wolfe:

After much thought and after carefully weighing several factors, I have reached the following decision: Tyler is suspended from attendance at Central park school for a period of five (5) days beginning Monday, May 9, 2005 through Friday, May 13, 2005. This decision has been reached for the following reasons: Tyler refused, on six separate occasions, to comply with a reasonable request made by his teachers, myself, and even you, his parent. In schools, when a teacher or other staff member gives a direction or a request to perform, a student is expected to do so. In other instances where students have simply refused, consequences have been imposed. The fact that Tyler chose to simply refuse to work on the WASL after many reasonable requests is none other than blatant defiance and insubordination. Therefore, a reasonable consequence is a short-term suspension.

 

Unfortunately, the consequences of Tyler's decision do not end with this disciplinary action. Not only will his achievement be misrepresented on the highest stakes measure of academic performance he has met to date, but the scores of his classmates will also be invalid. As he chose NOT to perform, he will get a zero on that section, which will be averaged with the scores of all of the other students in his class: in this case, 10 other children. Obviously, a ‘0’, when averaged with only 10 other scores, can drastically impact the ‘average’. Thus, he has compromised the representation of what his peers know and are able to do. Their scores will be reported as a group, not as individuals. Additionally, this extends to the whole fourth grade, as our school score, the one that is reported to the state and the media, is an average of all fourth grade students. Thus, his choice impacts Tyler, his classmates, his grade mates, and his school. As we have worked so hard this year to improve our writing skills, this is a particularly egregious wound.

 

You have the right to an informal conference with me concerning this suspension, pursuant to WAC 180-40-280. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 538-2170.

 

Sincerely,

           

Olivia McCarthy, Principal

CC:  Marty Kay, Superintendent

Tita Mallory, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Barb Jones, Fourth Grade teacher

Shawn Sanford, Fourth Grade teacher