This New York parent decided the state tests were useless and worthless. She went to hearings and rallies and realized that state officials made only minor changes but that her children would continue to sit for 500 minutes of state testing in grades 3-8. She thought it made no sense. So she opted her children out of state testing. Here is her letter to the editor of her local newspaper.

She writes:

“I recognize that students have always taken some form of standardized testing and that testing has a value in education. I am not saying that students should never take tests or that teachers should not be held accountable. What I am saying is that we as a state and as a country have lost our focus. What I am saying is the rules have changed and these tests are different. When No Child Left Behind was introduced in 2002, our children were federally required to take state tests in 4th grade and 8th grade. In 2006, the federal requirement changed to all grades 3-8th. In 2012, the tests changed again increasing the time, the complexity and consequences.

“The single largest change at the center of this all is that teachers are now rated on the results of these tests. Teachers are not saying they shouldn’t be evaluated – in fact – most feel that a good evaluation makes them a better teacher. There are so many things wrong with the APPR process that I would have to write another letter on this topic. Basically, our children and our teachers work hard all year. They should not be reduced to a single score.

“The reasons my children have not taken the state tests the past 2 years is simple: they do not help my children in any way. While the test is given in April, the scores are not received until July. There is NO data or explanation of where my child had weaknesses or strengths for that matter. The teacher will see 25% of the questions but will not have ANY information on how MY child did on those questions or on how they may help future students. These tests lack quality, as evidenced by the numerous errors and poorly worded questions. These tests are not used to determine student promotion or grades and are not included in a child’s permanent school record. The children receive a score on a scale of 1-4 which becomes a statistic used to rate teachers and schools- minimizing their educational experience to just a number. What could that number mean to me as a parent? Commissioner King and the Board of Regents are repeatedly quoted in the media saying, “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how their child is doing?” My response is simple. If I need to know how my children are doing, I will ask their teacher!

“Our children are athletes, musicians, singers, dancers, artists, scientists, and community volunteers, among other things, none of which can be measured by a single assessment. I am not sure when or why test scores became so important. It used to be that parents looking for a place to live chose Garden City, perhaps based on the colleges that our students attend. Our children’s test scores have become a metric by which we assess our property values. The tests have somehow become “practice” in preparation for the NYS Regents Exams, the SAT’s, and ACT’s. Why have we become a society that cares more about the test scores than the quality of our child’s educational experience?”