Opt Out 2017

 

As springtime approaches, the PFT and many other teacher unions across the state are once again asking our members to have their own children refuse the NYS ELA and math exams. This year, the ELA exams are set to occur from March 28 through March 30th and the math exams are going to be given between May 2nd and May 4th. Please make sure to get your opt-out letter into your child's teacher as soon as possible for them to be excluded from the exam, as well as allow your district time to prepare meaningful educational activities for them during the testing period.

 

Over the past few years, the opt-out movement has been instrumental in changing the political climate of public education "bashing" that began when Governor Cuomo took office. Thanks to the grass roots effort of groups like NYSAPE (www.nysape.org), we are now in the middle of a 4 year moratorium on the use of these exams to evaluate teachers. Despite all the positive progress that has been achieved in reducing the harm that these tests have on children, teachers, and school districts, the tests are still developmentally inappropriate, lack meaningful input from NYS educators, threaten pubic school funding, and will be once again used to evaluate teachers when the moratorium has ended. Therefore, it is more important than ever that we continue to keep up the pressure on Albany to stop the use of these ill-conceived and detrimental exams.