6 Actions You Can Take to Fight Harmful Testing

Wow! Parents are gaining momentum as they stand up and take back the right of their children's freedom to learn by opting out of standardized testing. If your child is being subjected to unnecessary, harmful testing I hope the stories of other parents around the country will inspire you to do what is best for your child and, "Just say no!" to standardized testing.

Check out what's been happening.

• With Test Week Here, Parents Consider the Option of Opting Out
  The New York Times takes on the issue and links to the Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - New York Group!
• Meet the Principals
  The New York Times highlights principals who are willing to publicly stand up against standardized testing!
• New York Educator & Parent Just Says No to Standardized Tests
  A New York educator and parent inspires others to opt out of standardized testing!
• 12 Most Unconventional Reasons to Opt Your Child Out of Standardized Testing
  My 12 Most article about why we shouldn’t test is #1 on the site!
• Will Richardson Opts Out
  Educator, author, international speaker Will Richardson publicly opts his children out of testing! Go Will!  Check out the post and all the great comments.
• Late-night Twitter Chat about the detriments of standardized tests
  People are not just writing and talking.  Folks are all aTwitter about opting out. Here is a conversation I was involved in with amazing educators such as Joe Bower, Will Richardson, Gary Stager, Mary Ann Reilly, John T. Spencer, and others.
• Long Island Principal threatens parent with calling Child Protective Services and FORCES child to take test
  Yep! You heard that right. A Principal in Oceanside forces a child to take a test against his mother’s will and threatens to call child protective services. I emailed this principal to inform him that HE is being watched and HE will be the one who comes under GREAT scrutiny for defying the wishes of a parent, threatening her, and forcing her child to do something that is harmful. She shared her story in the New York Opt Out group.
• A Texas parent opts out and calls her local news station
  A Texas opt out mom called her local news station who did a fantastic piece on her decision to opt out.  She shared her video in the Texas Opt Out group.

What can you do? Here are six ideas.
6 Actions Parents Can Take Against Standardized Testing

1. Opt out
   -Parents, not the government, have the right to determine what is best for their children. Opt out and stand up to the bullying and threats of anyone who forces you to do what is not right for your children.
2. Pass out
   -Pick your favorite article, stand in front of your school and pass it out to parents, families, and teachers. Or pass out this flyer which outlines the actions in this article as well as important reasons to opt out of tests.
3. Write to principals -Write any principal you know of that is forcing children to take tests against the will of parents or children, send them your favorite article and let them know that this is not what educational leaders should be doing.
4. Join an opt out group -You can join the discussion to opt out in your state in two ways.
   1) Go to Facebook and type in the search: Opt out of State Standardized Tests - Your State i.e. Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - New York
   2) Go to the page url: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutYourState i.e.https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutNewYork
5. Contact the press
6. -Contact your local television station and newspaper. Tell them you are opting your child out and invite them to cover the story.  
7. Contact the American Civil Liberties Union Join the Multi Family Complaint
   -The ACLU is accumulating letters regarding state testing under No Child Left Behind where schools/state have violated the rights of parents to guide their child's education. The US Supreme Court supports a parent's right to guide their child's education as an 'unwritten liberty' protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
   If you want to participate mail the following:
• An overview of your story
• Threatening letters / email or denials to school activities, graduation, and grade advancement
• Permission to join in on the ACLU complaint
• your return address
• a signature on a hard copy.


Submit to: Nina Bishop, 3065 Windward Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80917
Questions: 719-233-1508

ACLU's Nina Bishop advises,

"As parents it is imperative that we join together to regain our voice and our innate right to guide our children's education. Join us and stop the insanity of high stakes testing."

Kudos to all the pioneering parents who are mad as hell and telling schools their children are not going to take it (the test) ANYMORE!

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