Did these parents force former superintendent Josh Starr to resign? Did these same parents give Drew Houlihan the jitters?
Probably not. If anything, our parents send their kids to school, make them sit for tests, sign them up for lots of AP and advanced testing, and even write checks whenever asked.
Not so in NY. As in the state, not just the small enclave in Manhattan of uber expensive property.
According to an article in today's NY Times, children across New York state are being encouraged to "opt out" of standardized testing.
From the article:
At least 165,000 children, or one of every six eligible students, sat out at least one of the two standardized tests this year, more than double and possibly triple the number who did so in 2014, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
As the vanguard of an antitesting fervor that has spread across the country, New York’s opt-out movement already has become a political force. Just two months ago, lawmakers from both parties, at the behest of Gov.Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, increased the role of test scores in teacher evaluations and tenure decisions. Those same legislators are now tripping over one another to introduce bills that guarantee the right to refuse to take tests.and
Only 30 of the 440 districts where data was available met the 95-percent test participation rate called for by federal requirements, a far cry from just two years ago, when almost every district complied.Can you picture something similar happening in MoCo?
Read the rest of the article here.
I would love to think that our group, or any other parent grassroots organization, could be as successful as the "opt out" movement in NY. And certainly, don't believe that our local community has the power to scare away potential superintendent candidates. Its all rhetoric.
Keep in mind - the biggest responsibility for the elected Board of Education in MoCo is to select a Superintendent of Schools.
So - how well do you think the Board of Education is holding up to their promise to voters?
