The Néw York parents’ opt out movement is indeed widespread and historic. The Buffalo News reports the action in western NY.
Parents were not acting at the direction of the teachers’ union. They were fed up with Néw York’s insane obsession with standardized testing:
“In the Lake Shore School District, 58 percent of kids opted out.
In North Tonawanda, inside sources said about 56 percent of students didn’t take the test.
At Lackawanna, just shy of 50 percent. Springville-Griffith had 42 percent, with three quarters of fifth-graders at one elementary school opting out.
In Kenmore-Tonawanda, where the School Board had seriously considered opting the entire district out, 37 percent refused.
Last year, by contrast, only about 5½ percent of Western New York students refused to take the tests, according to one survey.
Parents cited a wide variety of reasons for opting out Tuesday, including stress.
“Both my kids – especially the oldest, the one who is a bad test-taker – she is a nervous wreck when it comes time for tests,” said Mandy Ortwein, mother of a Ken-Ton seventh-grader who opted out. “The teachers try to help them by telling them they need to eat a good breakfast and get a good night’s sleep, but all of that makes my child even more anxious.”
School leaders across New York for weeks have been anticipating a large number of opt-outs by students, said Bob Lowry, deputy director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
“But I think the numbers exceeded expectations in many districts,” Lowry said after the first day of English Language Arts tests.
The mass boycott followed backlash to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s plan to put greater emphasis on the results of the state tests when determining how teachers are evaluated. Karen E. Magee, president of the New York State United Teachers, urged parents to opt out, and the union website promoted a letter for parents to download and fill out if they wanted their children to refuse the tests. At the same time, parents and teachers, particularly in Western New York and Long Island, took to Facebook and Twitter to voice their growing anxieties over the tests.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Great news, and all should be equally concerned about the tests as instruments for the invasion of privacy.
This is super exciting. Springfield is a low SES school district. They have a lot more to loose than my district in nearby Eugene, Oregon.
http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32980118-75/springfield-board-considers-moratorium-on-smarter-balanced-standardized-tests.html.csp
Love it. This is where I grew up. I guess all the snow days this year gave parents time to read & think! Talkin’ Proud!
Buffalo’s got a spirit, talkin’ proud, talkin’ proud!
Listen up and you’ll hear it, talkin’ proud, talkin’ proud!
The good life that we share with nice people who care
It’s time to tell them all we’re up and standing’ tall, standing’ tall!
Yeah, Buffalo’s got a spirit, talkin’ proud, talkin’ proud!
Talkin’ proud, talkin’ proud, TALKIN’ PROUD!
I hadn’t thought of that song in 40 years and WHAM!, every single word came back in a rush!
I grew up there too, in Orchard Park. I wonder what their opt out numbers were?
Thanks for the memory!
Excellent! But can you come up with the Irv Weinstein song???
Certainly glad to see this, but just why are students so anxious. That is what needs to be used as the excuse. It is obvious that the adults in charge are not concerned about the anxiety. (Especially, since they had only to face it a two or three times in their lives on average i.e. PSAT, SAT, GRE.
Invasion of privacy is a factor that counts with adults, lack of validity could be, knowing you could get someone fired for false reasons might be.
Your post was wonderful reading after a full day CCSS P.D.
I would also like to add that I watched your debate with Merryl Tisch and I was astounded that she tried to specifically blame teacher’s unions regarding the opt-out/refusal movement. Does she have a clue regarding how insulting this is to so many parents? As if they cannot think independently and do not really understand the ramifications of this difficult decision? Her comments were outrageous.
Additionally, isn’t it the role of teacher’s unions to raise the red flag when quality education is eroded because of testing mania?
Even though the opt-out/refusal movement is large and growing, Ms. Tisch still does not get it. I cannot begin to fathom her logic and that of other reformers, except that they are very desperate perhaps.
Dr. Ravitch, you showed a great deal of self-control during that debate on so many levels.
Many, many thanks.
The edudeformers’ nightmare tsunami continues to build!
Way to go NY state in getting the opt out movement going on a large scale!
Thanks to all who have had a part in this, no matter how small that part!
“Driven to Drink”
As tidal wave hits Cuomo’s shore
He isn’t laughing any more
As water threatens all around
Poor Andy looks for higher ground
His gubernatorial suit is wet
And curly do is curlier yet
But higher ground is not in reach
So Andrew wallows on the beach
Wait, you’ve actually seen Cuomo laugh???
Haven’t actually seen him (and don’t really want to), but I envision him laughing when he is all by his little self thinking about how he got back at all those mean and nasty teachers for opposing him in the last election.
Now some want to divide and conquer. A NY Senate bill featuring exemptions from state testing and APPR for the top performing school districts. Starting with a pool of the top 20%, the finalists culled will represent the top 70 school districts (10%) in the state. This doesn’t even make the list of really stupid ideas because it is an utterly foolish, divisive, and corrupting idea.
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2015/04/senate-bill-would-exempt-top-districts-from-evaluations/
High stakes testing for the middle class and poor. Exemptions for the rich. Segregated testing.
Despicable them.
These people would have fit right in in the pre-civil war south.
Is there an equal protection clause in NYS constitution that applies?
Surprise. What kid wants to take a test that is inappropriately difficult and confusing?
The test writers are like a group of maniacal fools forcing every 3 yr old to learn to ride a bike, just because they as adults can do it.
Spring of 2015
Arne Duncan on PARCC opt outs:
“Millions of kids all across the country are taking the tests. We’re doing fine.”
Spring of 2016
Andrew Cuomo on Pearson opt outs:
“Dozens of kids across the state are taking the tests.
My most trusted sycophants tell me I’m doing fine.”
That’s hilarious — and right on the mark, I suspect.
United to Counter the Core has a spreadsheet with refusals by district:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/t2_8Bg3h8mqx6Ax8rwGG5Mw/htmlview?pli=1
They are showing a total of 137,198.
I noticed a few large districts they don’t have reports for, such as Brentwood, New Rochelle, East Ramapo, Half Hollow,East Meadow,Central Islip.
And that’s with 42% of districts. At the rate the total has been going up, I think the final count could be well over 250,000, possibly approaching 300K.
Sharon, most of the districts remaining are either small or districts in the big 5 city school systems. To get above 200,000 we’ll need significant numbers from the big 5 and that doesn’t look likely.
My guess is we are looking at 160,000 to 180,000. I hope it’s a lot higher.
Of course 180,000 for ELA and 200,000 for Math would make a very impressive statement.
Howard, whatever the number, it is far higher than last year’s 60,000. And it is a powerful message to the electeds.
Diane, I agree that the numbers are making a most impressive statement. And you are a major reason why the numbers are so high.
Howard, you might be correct that there will be a dropping off of the rate of increase after numbers for the big districts are reported, but additional students might opt out of the math tests, pushing the grand total higher.
WESTERN NEW YORK YOU ARE AMAZING!!! We care about our kids and we walk the talk!
4 out of 24 opted out in my kid’s NYC classroom today. I think the city opt out numbers will be much, much bigger this year, judging by parent sentiment. … and even bigger numbers will opt out for math next week, as more parents and kids become aware of the option. The Daily News cover today will certainly help with that!
Get ready folks, here comes the counter-attack:
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2015/04/15/test-protest-new-opt-campaign-launches-turn-tide-opt-movement-schools-state-tests/25851505/
I don’t think the counter-attack will be effective. However, state officials stating that test results will still be used is of concern:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/04/15/rochester-opt-wednesday/25817459/
I guess if you use tests that are invalid and unreliable – then it makes sense to use data that is statistically invalid. What will stop these people?
Here is another article indicating the use of the data:
“Bad news for the union: The new evaluation system has the flexibility to hold in most of the state. New York City, where opt-out rates are certain to be lower than elsewhere, will be able to press ahead. Sensibly, lower-income parents, who have learned the hard way not to trust their schools, are looking for evidence of whether or not their kids are learning.”
“Teachers are professionals. They deserve to be treated as such — and rated based on tests and supervisor observations. The opt-out wave may make that process politically harder, but this is a speedbump, not a roadblock.” (UGH! – If we treated teachers as professionals we would not rate them based on these awful tests!)
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/editorial-anti-testing-opt-out-delusion-article-1.2186878
High Achievement NY is another AstroTurf group, rah-rah for testing
I am a retired teacher and elected BoE member in East Aurora new York. We had 44% opt out. We are just south of Buffalo!
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Let’s blame David Coleman and his fool, Bill Gates.
You would think that with the high volume of opt-out, people would start listening to what parents, teachers and students think about high-stakes testing, but I am not sure if those that hold the power will care enough to make the changes that so many are demanding, or perhaps they are not willing to loose all the money that opting out will cost them. Hey, does anyone know what they are going to do with the unused tests? Sell them as study guides, maybe?
I believe the unused tests get shredded.
Reblogged this on Mansfeld225.
Reblogged this on enlightenedadvocacy and commented:
Looks like Buffalo area is a standout. In opt-outs. Parents are fed up with the number of tests, the students are stressed, and the teachers are protesting what they believe to be an invalid assessment of their effectiveness.