Monday, May 5, 2014

May 5, 2014

We are proud to say that the community event at Montezuma went extremely well and we were all so glad to see such a great turnout! The engine to create change in our schools starts with knowing what is really going on in our children's lives. A partnership between parents and teachers is integral in this endeavor and it was empowering to see such a partnership growing tonight in the Montezuma cafeteria.
We hope that the meeting was educational for everyone who came. Parents have many options in their child's education, including testing and opting out.
Below, please find the opt out letter that was referred to during the meeting. This letter is a supplement to the opt out form and on its own will not opt your child out from testing.

Date

Dear APS Student Services, Board of Education, Principal, Teachers:

     We are opting our child, ___________________, out of _____exams for this

school year for the following reasons:

             *Our child has been given countless district mandated and

               standardized tests already this year.

            *Teachers did not write the exams and therefore they are not

              valid.

            *We trust the knowledge, experience and expertise of the teachers

              over the PED.

           *Testing interrupts the flow of instruction and wastes important

              instructional time.

          *Testing is not an effective way to gauge the performance of students,

             teachers or schools.

          *Testing is being used to punish students, teachers and schools.

          *Testing narrows the curriculum.

          *Testing creates extra stress and anxiety for students and teachers.

          *Testing is not transparent and is based on mistrust of teachers.

          *Testing costs millions of dollars, taking precious resources away

            from classrooms.

         *It is our legal right to do so.

Under no circumstances shall anyone administer _____ exams to our child, _____.

Sincerely,

Parents