Opt-Out Movement Continues in Port Washington, Leaders Take Notice

The opt-out movement is gaining momentum again this year, as parents in Port Washington and surrounding communities object to the standardized testing surrounding the Common Core.

And leaders are paying attention.

Acknowledging that some students will not participate in the grades 3-8 New York State tests, Port Washington School Superintendent Kathleen Mooney wrote a letter to parents, saying:

Please be advised that there is no opt-out provision in New York State law or regulation. However, the State Education Department in its 2014-2015 version of the Student Information Repository System Manual acknowledges that some students may choose not to participate in a State test. According to the State manual, students who choose not to participate will be reported by the local school district to the State as ’not tested.’

Mooney encourages all students, whether taking the test or not, to bring a book of their choosing to school, so that all children will have “the opportunity to engage in some meaningful activity.”

It is critical, she notes, that “students not participating are not engaged in instructional activities that could be interpreted as providing them with an advantage over students taking the exam.”

“Dr. Mooney’s letter balanced what the law requires of the district, while simultaneously responding to some of the many questions and concerns that have been raised by parents,” Allison White, a critic of the Common Core, told Patch. “It enabled every parent of students in grades 3 to 8 to be informed of the procedure if they wish to refuse the NYS ELA and Math testing on behalf of their child.”

Addressing a need, Dolphin Bookshop in Port Washington will display books for kids opting out of the tests this year.

State legislators are also weighing in, noting, as The New York Times reported, that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s education proposals include increasing “the weight of test scores, to 50 percent of a teacher’s rating, and decrease the role of their principals’ observations.”

“Our students are already over-tested,” said Assemb. Michelle Schimel, D-Great Neck, in a YouTube video “NY Legislators Unite on Education: Here’s What #AllKidsNeed.” See the full video below.

“Taking teachers’ evaluations and raising it 50 percent will require even more test preparation for our students and take important learning opportunities away from the classroom,” Schimel added.

The newly formed Port Washington Advocates for Public Education is holding a forum, “Reclaim Public Education: Less Testing, More Teaching” Tuesday at Port Washington Public Library at 7 p.m. An affiliate of the New York State Allies for Public Education, the group will have educators on hand to answer questions and share information.

“It is heartening that so many people, including Assemb. Michelle Schimel, have become concerned and are speaking out about the negative impact high-stakes testing and the privatization of education are having on our students and schools,” said White, a cofounder of the Port Washington Advocates for Public Education, a volunteer organization.

“This forum and others like it are providing a way for ordinary citizens to protect our schools and our children,” she added.

Image: Michele Witman-Blumenfeld, Deborah Silberg and Stephanie Contino are members of the Port Washington Advocates for Public Education.

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