The union representing Rochester teachers says it wants to make sure that parents know they can have their children "opt out" of upcoming statewide tests in English and math for students in grades 3 through 8.
Adam Urbanski, the President of the Rochester Teachers Association, says parents should not equate test performance with real learning, and he held a news conference Friday to get his message out.
"We don't have the kind of electronic access that hopefully we'll eventually have to communicate with parents. So we're relying on media to help get the word out about the rights of parents to make this decision, despite the pressures that they may feel from the administration."
The city school district sent a letter to parents recently noting that there is no provision in state law that allows parents to opt their kids out of testing.
But the district also says that if parents still want to opt their child out of the exams, the school will respect that decision and there will be no disciplinary consequence for students.
Paul Hetland is the treasurer for the association, and he says those statewide tests just don't do a good job of evaluating a student's performance.
"They don't measure children's creativity, they don't measure persistence, they don't measure engagement with difficult tasks, they don't measure engagement with group activities where people are making differential contributions."
Superintendent Bolgen Vargas issued this statement after the union’s news conference:
“Our teachers and students are working hard, and the state tests are one important measure among many that allow them to demonstrate improved achievement. Just like the Superintendents in Brighton and Pittsford, I believe in our District’s children and I want them to take the assessments so that we can see the progress they are making.”
A number of parents statewide have decided to not have their kids take the tests. In Fairport, more than half of the students eligible to take the tests have opted out of next week's exams.
In response to a question about opting-out from WXXI News, the NYS Education Department issued a statement that said the tests are required by the federal government, and there is no provision in the law for a school official to refuse to administer the tests or for a parent to refuse the tests. The statement says that the U.S. Department of Education has made clear that when a district fails to ensure that students participate in required state assements, the state is expected to consider imposing sanctions on that district, including the possibility of withholding state aid.
The statement from the State Ed. Department says that the real impact is losing the chance to learn about the progress of students and their schools.
