What’s this? Yep. Plain, outright bribery. Administrators at one Louisiana school are bribing students to take the Common Core-aligned PARCC tests in exchange for “free dress” passes and recess rewards. Students who opt out are being openly disparaged for ruining the prizes for everyone else.
Good Lord, mental midgets are running our schools. God help us all. @JamieSimon
— WSCP1 #Cult45 (@WSCP1) March 1, 2015
Well, bribing the kids makes sense, doesn’t it? After all, the federal government, through Race to the Top grants, bribed states to adopt the Common Core standards and testing racket in the first place.
It’s happening in other school districts, too.
@jerseyjazzman @mariecorfield look ? they need to bribe teens at Morris Hills HS in New Jersey, PARCC cash prizes pic.twitter.com/gvKgr1kcCY
— Lindamarie (@Linda1746) February 21, 2015
$50 for besting the #PARCC test. Is that a bribe? Tonight on #NJTVNews
— Mary Alice Williams (@MaryAliceNJTV) February 23, 2015
https://twitter.com/BeeIosso/status/572246343730786304
Another school cancels PARCC incentive program http://t.co/VYllT7f35f
— Adam Clark (@realAdamClark) February 23, 2015
https://twitter.com/thearpinos/status/569220822050742273
Hey, Kids: Take the PARCC Test, Qualify for an iPad Mini (??) http://t.co/AxdYZP60a1 via @wordpressdotcom
— Peter Greene (@palan57) March 2, 2015
More from education blogger Mercedes Schneider:
Hey, Kids: Take the PARCC Test, Qualify for an iPad Mini http://t.co/tOTtt6FDx9 @wordpressdotcom Mercedes Schneider is #FightingTheGoodFight
— Temple of Sir Loin (@HRH_Sir_Loin) March 2, 2015
Yes, iPad mini giveaways are a thing.
Apparently the pushback on social media provided “incentive” enough for DeQuincy administration to change some of the rules of the “we value the test-taking students more” contest.
On March 1, 2015, the following “clarification” tweet appeared on the DeQuincy Twitter page:
https://twitter.com/DeQuincyElem/status/572079345826545665
The use of the term “clarification” is an attempt for DeQuincy admin to save face and not call this tweet what it is– an about-face on the “recess reward for classes with 100 percent of ‘PARCC’ participation.”
Still, “free dress” and iPad mini drawing is reserved for the test takers.
The message: Test takers are worth more.
Caution: Fed Ed at work.
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