Framingham TWPTO: 'We Encourage Every Family To Make the Best Decision For Their Children'

Posted below is the complete statement from the TWPTO executive Board as submitted to Framingham Patch:

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We, the Executive Board of the Framingham Townwide PTO, would like to clarify our statement and recommendation regarding PARCC made to the School Committee on March 17, 2015.

The purpose of TWPTO includes advocating for children and working for the common goals which benefit the Framingham Public Schools. As our prior statement indicated, we have many concerns regarding the test itself and the process of preparation for our students and teachers in Framingham, and wanted parents to be aware of their options for advocating on behalf of their children to refuse to take this test.

The Executive Board believes refusing the test, based on the information contained in the original statement, is an option for families this year. We would like to make clear our position does not reflect or include the opinions or beliefs of every individual school PTO. We fully encourage and expect each family to make the best decision for their individual child(ren). We apologize this was not explicitly stated. It was the intent of the Executive Board, to present and disseminate information to raise awareness in our parent community regarding the PARCC assessment test and to provide resources so that all families could make an educated decision based on their unique needs for themselves.

We are grateful for continued conversations and education surrounding PARCC and the Framingham Public Schools and apologize for any confusion regarding our statement.