A response to the NYSSBA attorneys. #optout #refuse
I have been very fortunate to have worked with Eric Mihelbergel the last few months on education advocacy in Western New York. Eric has been a bundle of energy and a trusted source of information and research. His passion to to fight the high-stakes testing madness is truly appreciated by parents and educators across New York. Eric’s “refusal” letter has helped justify the parental and student right to boycott the New York State Assessments.
Recently Tim Slekar wrote about the New York State School Boards Association attorneys response to parental requests to opting out. Mr. Mihelbergel crafted an excellent response to that memo.
__________________________________________________________
by Eric Mihelbergel
As a concerned parent I am wondering if you might consider advising the NYSSBA in a slightly different way than your article describes (which I will describe below) for the following reasons:
Recently Tim Slekar wrote about the New York State School Boards Association attorneys response to parental requests to opting out. Mr. Mihelbergel crafted an excellent response to that memo.
__________________________________________________________
by Eric Mihelbergel
As a concerned parent I am wondering if you might consider advising the NYSSBA in a slightly different way than your article describes (which I will describe below) for the following reasons:
- Excessive testing takes away approximately 25% of our children’s academic school year.
- Excessive testing forces teachers to “teach to the test” instead of nurturing higher order thinking skills, independent thinking, and creativity.
- Excessive testing teaches children that there is only one right answer in academics and in life.