Lisa T. McElroy, a law professor, decided that her children would not take the state tests during the year the family spent in Colorado. She checked and found it was legal.
That is when the trouble began, and McElroy found out how much this idea frightened the school staff.
After many phone calls, emails, and meetings with desperate administrators, she had to decide.
“Do I stand on my principles, both personal and political? Or do I put the interests of the very important people and institutions that educate my children above those of my kids? And how can I help ensure that more parents, teachers, administrators, and, yes, policymakers recognize the craziness that is our “accountability above all else” mentality?
“For now, I’m opting out of making any permanent decision about my kids’ participation in high-stakes testing. But for those who say that these tests have no educational value, I disagree, at least to this extent: Opting out of them has been a real learning experience for me.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I believe we all need to start to “Opt Out” to support our beliefs..
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interesting take on the subject… mine is sachinmanan.wordpress.com … check once and share your feedback
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As a Scarsdale, NY parent, I opted my kids out of state testing for many years – as scores of other parents in the community did also. We had strength in numbers. In order to begin doing this, parents need to get assertive and build solidarity among each other and among enlightened district board members, administrators, etc. It takes practice and tenacity – but it only takes a few parents to begin this kind of movement. My two now college grad kids were benefited by not having this extra layer of unnecessary and demoralizing stress to deal with. Opting out had absolutely no effect on their future academic and career success. On the contrary, they were better able to put their energy into their classes where their teachers were able to authentically assess their progress. Upon reflection, opting out of the state exams was one choice that I made as a parent that was the right one.
It’s getting to the point that parents who are considering having their kids opt out would feel more empowered by joining other parents in their community to get organize and to do this. To be silent, even if you hate these tests as much as I do, – unfortunately, means to comply with the status quo.
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Watch.
Eventually the robber barons and wolves of Sesame Street—-if they haven’t already done it—-will find a way to up the anti by punishing districts and schools that do not stop parents from opting out of standardized testing. Then the pressure will go ballistic.
Next step, change the laws so parents have no choice to opt out.
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The punitive measures are already at work. Districts will lose funding. My former District made a decision to opt out of Murdoch’s InBloom because they didn’t want student records to be creepily digitally footprinted— and made the decision for forgo their share of Race to the Top funding. The rubber has only begun to hit the road.
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Jane, can you elaborate on the “creepily digitally footprinted” records part… I am very opposed to Common Core and sometimes think that the content of the material is just a distraction…the real reason for CC is all of the data mining.
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To NOT OPT OUT is paying the fox to watch the hen house.
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Diane, I’m really honored that you posted my piece here. Although I didn’t know much about the issue before, I’ve learned a lot this week. Thanks for working so hard on it and for keeping the conversation going.
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I’m curious which schools these were, as I used to live near DU and had one middle-schooler and one high-schooler before relocating last summer. I’ll understand if you don’t wish to reveal that, but I certainly pictured the principals of South High and Merrill Middle as I was reading this. Very thought-provoking — thanks for the article.
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Hi, I’m sorry, but I would prefer not to identify the schools, except to say that they were a middle school and high school in the Boulder Valley School District.
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No contest. My kids come first. Opt out.
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