Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats

This week in the war on workers: Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats:

This week in the war on workers: Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats

Parents are allowed to opt their kids out of standardized tests, and doing so has become an important part of the movement against over-testing. But the U.S. Department of Education is threatening education funding for Oregon over a bill that makes opting out easier. The bill, passed this week by the state Senate and headed to the governor's desk, requires that schools notify parents about their opt-out rights; parents be informed about how much class time will be spent on tests, when tests will be administered, and when results will be available; and parents be informed about how test data will be used and by whom. It also sets up a process for amending school ratings if opt-outs affect test results.

The Obama administration is issuing stern warnings:

But Gov. Kate Brown got a call from Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently—and an official letter from Assistant Secretary of Education Deborah Delisle warned federal funds could be in jeopardy.

“The text of the Oregon bill currently under consideration, proactively encouraging parents to opt students out of assessments and failing to hold districts and schools accountable if they fall below 95% participation, increases the likelihood that Oregon will not meet its obligations under the law and incur enforcement action,” Delisle said in an email in late May.

What they're worried about is that parents will have information about how much school time is taken up by testing and how the testing is used, will know that they have the right to opt their kids out of those tests, and will do so. Just so we're clear about what's going on here. FairTest has an information sheet on opting out, in case your schools aren't offering that information.

Massachusetts legislators are similarly considering a bill that would place a moratorium on the use of high-stakes testing.

Continue reading below the fold for more of the week's education and labor news.This week in the war on workers: Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats: