Another great opt out letter. __________Middle School Re: - State Testing and Student Learning Objectives Dear Mr. I am writing today to formally inform the district of our decision to refuse to allow our son ___, grade 8 from participating in any standardized assessments imposed on children across the state for the remainder of the 2014-2015 school year. My refusal should in no way reflect on the teachers, administration, or school board. This was not an easy decision, but I feel that our family has no other choice. We simply see these tests as harmful, expensive, and a waste of time and valuable resources. It is our right and obligation to do what is best for our children. In Title 20 of the United States Code, chapter 48, sub-chapter 1, section 3401, line 3 of Congressional findings states: parents have the primary responsibility for the education of their children, and states, localities, and private institutions have the primary responsibility for supporting that parental role. This year I will continue to show effort to eliminate unnecessary and harmful assessments in our public schools. My son will not participate in any assessments other than those solely for the use of the individual classroom teacher towards my child, ____ direct education. I refuse to allow any data to be used for purposes other than the individual teacher’s own formative or cumulative assessment. Any assessment whose data is used to determine school ranking, teacher effectiveness, state or federal longitudinal studies or any other purpose other than for the individual classroom teacher’s own use to improve his or her instruction will not be presented to my child. To be clear, our child will not participate in the following: * Any state assessment, science, ELA or Math * Any so-called “benchmark” exams whether they are teacher-designed or not, since these exams are imposed by entities other than the individual teacher. * Pre or Post– assessments connected to “Student Learning Objectives.” * Any surveys or “field tests” given by corporate or government entities or testing companies. * Any progress-monitoring or RTI assessments such as Aimsweb. * Any (APPR) exam used to formulate an evaluation or score for our children’s teachers or their school. I believe in and trust our highly qualified and dedicated teachers and administrators. We believe in the high quality of teaching and learning that occur in our children’s school. I hope my efforts will be understood in the context in which they are intended: to support the quality of instruction promoted by the school, and to advocate for what is best for all children. I believe our schools will not suffer when these tests are finally gone, they will flourish. The __________SchoolDistrict should have a unified policy in place to address children who are refusing these assessments. I do apologize in advance for the inconvenience or scrutiny that this decision may cause the administration, the school and staff. Sincerely, CC: To all teachers and administrators
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 23:26:42 +0000
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