Parent groups in NYC are warning that some principals are threatening and misinforming parents.
This is city policy:
“New York City – Parents across the city are refusing to let their children take the annual state English Language Arts (ELA) and math tests administered to third through eighth graders, but some principals are standing in their way. Warning that opting out of the tests is either not allowed or will result in negative consequences – for the student, teachers or school – principals have left parents frustrated, fearful and confused about their rights. Although a parent guide released by the Department of Education (DOE) states, “If, after consulting with the principal, the parents still want to opt their child out of the exams, the principal should respect the parents’ decision and let them know that the school will work to the best of their ability to provide the child with an alternate educational activity (e.g., reading) during testing times,” some principals are either unaware of the policy or have decided to ignore it.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Some PTA’s are a big issue too. They are intentionally depriving their communities of valuable information with the excuse of wanting to remain “neutral”. Intentionally withholding information does not sound neutral to me. The national PTA should be more aggressive with local PTA’s. Most of the local PTA leaders who are choosing to keep parents misinformed are not fully informed themselves.
Reblogged this on Exceptional Delaware and commented:
Okay, if New York City can allow opt out, there is absolutely no reason why little old Delaware can’t. Wake up Delaware!
In typical fashion, the rheephormistas are flailing in all directions. The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. The cat is out of the bag. The toothpaste is out of the tube.
Good.
The words of the DOE need to be broadcast far and wide. Except the consequences of those words don’t serve the interests of $tudent $ucce$$.
Good. It’s about time the interests of public school staff and students and parents and communities were served.
Time to starve the testing beast and make time again for genuine teaching and learning.
Opt out.
😎
I can’t wait for decisions about whether to take the state tests becomes part of the analysis by which parents try to game the middle school and high school admissions process. Perhaps we’re already there.
For what it’s worth, I would note that this “parent guide” appears to be less than a month old (dated March 6, 2015).
NYC Principals obey the law. April Fools!
Yes, opting-out is still our best weapon to stop the looting of public school taxes by private charters and the testing abuse forced on our kids. Parents, do it for our kids, for our teachers abandoned by their insider union leaders, and for our public sector now under siege!! No kids to test means no tests to sell!