Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Action Now members vent their frustrations with the excessive ISAT testing, which it believes will target remaining Chicago schools, forcing them to close. Some kindergarten students will be subject to no fewer than eight standardized tests.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday March 20, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

CHICAGO — The residents in the South Austin neighborhood know hardship. In one of Chicago’s toughest low income areas, a school is a beacon of hope, a safe haven for youth and a place to learn.

Last year, Emmet Elementary School on Madison Street was shut down by Chicago Public Schools, one of the 49 budget saving closures ordered by the city for schools with low test scores. Now, the residents are afraid more excessive Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) testing will target remaining schools in their neighborhood, taking chances away from students before they can even start their education.

“We are standing in front of a building that has lights and gas still running,” said community justice organization Action Now parent leader and Austin resident Zerlina Smith, who spearheaded a rally March 13 in front of the boarded up Emmet Elementary, which was attended by students who are 99 percent African-American.

“They tell us they don’t have money for our children to get educated, but we know they the truth,” she said.

Smith recently lead an ISAT boycott at Saucedo Elementary in the city and is concerned more school closings will equal more struggle, less education, and a dead end for youth in her community. She called the shutdown Emmet school a “disgrace” in the community.

“We need to tell them, if it’s not going to be a building for the children, make it a building for the people of the community,” she said.

Smith said her daughter will be entering kindergarten next year and will be subject to no fewer than eight standardized tests.

“The mayor’s kids go to a private school that only has one standardized test per year. Why aren’t our kids given that opportunity?” she asked.

Action Now said the barrage of tests can show a school is “failing” on paper, but teachers disagree with the tests. They say the tests unfairly target low income communities of color, and students can test poorly but still show potential for learning.

Tammy Benson is a special education teacher at Oscar DePriest elementary school in Austin. She taught at Emmet school before it closed and said the ISAT is taking away from valuable classroom learning time.

“The test does not accurately measure anything. It doesn’t measure their abilities. It doesn’t measure their creativity or their thoughts and desires,” said Benson, who gave students the option to opt out of the testing. “I want them to advocate for themselves. They have a right to refuse to be subjected to standardized testing, and until we take a stand, our communities will continue to be marginalized.”