A story today in Chalkbeat, formerly Gotham Schools, highlights the role of educators in the growing opt-out movement.
It profiles a teacher, Jia Lee, who opted her son out of test and also refused, herself, to administer it. (The decision was moot since so many students had opted out at her school that she wasn’t needed to proctor.)
Here’s Chalkbeat on teacher’s roles in the movement:
“Some are simply providing logistical information to parents; others are sharing their concerns about over-testing; and still others, including Lee, are opting out their own children or, in some cases, even encouraging other parents to.”
Several schools, according the article, held information sessions this year for parents who expressed interest in opting students out of the tests. The article also cites one principal, Anna Allanbrook, who took a proactive role, encouraging parents to opt out of state tests.
“In January, Allanbrook told parents that other schools with large opt-out numbers “were not punished” and that “children who opt out will not have a negative impact” on teacher evaluations, according to the minutes of parent meetings in January. Last year, when Allanbrook was less outspoken about the tests, only four families opted out.”