South Bronx School Blogger Joins Opt-Out Movement

For those that want more information, follow NYS Allies for Education for how the "How to Opt Out" primer. It can be done, it should be done! ......I asked [my son] would he feel bad if he didn't take the exams and would the other kids make fun of him. His reaction was that he would not feel bad and that the other kids would want to know where they can sign up to miss the exams. In fact as this is being written he is texting his friends telling them he is not taking the exams. His friends are way jel.... South Bronx School

We know that at this point in NYC teacher boycotts of tests has not taken off here in NYC as it has in Seattle and Chicago, but boy, what if every teacher with a child in public school joined SBS in opting their children out of the test? SBS takes us through the process he and his family went through. Discussions like this are being shared on the Change the Stakes extremely active listserve where we see new and exciting things around opt-out and promotion policy happening every day.

This can be done. This should be done. Parents of Harrison NY, Westchester County, and NYC,

please read. This is important. You can take back control of your child's education.

I have been wanting to opt out my son of the NYS exams for a number of years. Actually every year since he started testing. He is in 7th grade now and I have finally decided that enough is enough. This year he is not wasting his time taking the state ELA and math exams.

The people it took the most convincing to opt him out have been my wife and my step-mother, a retired (13 years now) AP in the Bronx. For those who are of the Jewish persuasion you know with Jewish mothers you kinda don't have much of a say at times. But I digress. After last years ELA debacle in which not one student in his class finished the exam on any of the 3 days testing a stand had to be made.

 Read in full: Hey Harrison NY! I'm Opting Out My Son and So Can

 

Portelos left this comment at SBS:  

Mr. Portelos has left a new comment on the post "Hey Harrison NY! I'm Opting Out My Son and So Can ...":

I opted both my kids out. They are 2 and 3. They will never take a standardized test.