More than half of Fairport students in grades 3-8 will refuse the state English language arts exams next week, Interim Superintendent Bill Cala said Friday.
Out of about 2,740 eligible students, 1,534 have informed the district they will not take the test, Cala said. That is 56 percent of them. Fairport has not yet reported the tally for the math test the following week.
The rates are lower, but still significant, in other districts. In West Irondequoit, 27 percent of 1,637 eligible students have opted out, according to a district spokeswoman. Webster and Spencerport are at about 30 percent. Greece is only at 4 percent, but its count is incomplete, a district spokeswoman said.
All those numbers are sure to rise further before the first tests are handed out Tuesday. The refusal rates, particularly in Fairport, make a mockery of the New York State Education Department requirement that 95 percent of students take the tests so a district can properly calculate their test-taking progress.
Fairport has been a hotbed of opposition to the tests and the state education framework in general. Cala is a darling of the anti-reform movement and a rally in Fairport in February drew thousands.
Chris Cerrone tweeted this response to the Democrat and Chronicle story:
Amazing state assessment #optout #refusethetest numbers out of #ROC area. #BUF we can top our #WNY friends.
http://t.co/HpgSCAjNr2
— Chris Cerrone (@Stoptesting15) April 10, 2015
@perdidostschool And Rochester has been behind Buffalo area & Long Island on opt out. Roc and CNY will be huge this year...be afraid Tischy
— Chris Cerrone (@Stoptesting15) April 10, 2015
Be afraid Tischy indeed.
AWESOME! Was feeling a tad sad lately with all the "bad" news regarding my profession. This made my day.
ReplyDeleteWait till the Long Island numbers come out...it will be huge also!
DeleteWhenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always. -Gandhi
ReplyDeleteThe opt-out movement is our only chance to win the war. Teachers need to be aligned with parents. Period. The sheer numbers will send the politicians cowering. They really are cowards when you get right down to it.
ReplyDeleteCrickets from Mulgrew!!!
ReplyDeleteNo robo call for NYC teachers.
DeleteThis year OPT OUT will take hold in pockets. Next year it will be universal. We will need to be aware and beat back the attempts that will be made to take parents OPT OUT rights away from them!
ReplyDeletePlenty of parents want to opt out but need more info. Man, if there was a commercial blitz about it, wooohoooo. Somebody wanna put up 5 million?
ReplyDeleteNote the NJ teacher commercials attacking testing which played here. What is really needed is people on the ground in schools in NYC to connect people from Change the Stakes to parents in their school. Or get the list of resources on the CTS web site to your parents. We don't have to wait for people to save us -- build grassroots movements.
DeleteHow about if our feckless union NYSUT used the money we give them to take out full page ads in newspapers telling people exactly HOW to opt-out of tests? All they've been doing is putting up useless billboards with Cuomo's sour puss.
ReplyDeleteIn Newark, they are asking teachers to call parents to inform them of the benefits of the PARCC tests. They had better not look in my direction.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that in Comsewogue, out on Long Island, about 80% have opted out already.
ReplyDeleteThe New York State PTA president came out with a really strong statement the other day, trashing Cuomo and the legislators.
ReplyDelete