Author of Common Core Parental Refusal Act says it’s time for Governor, Legislature and SED to stop “test-a-thon madness” and start listening to parents and educators           

Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville)

“The Common Core test-a-thon madness has got to stop!”

“That’s the message sent loud and clear yesterday by thousands of parents across New York who rose up against a top-down, one-size fits all approach to education that focuses on the over-utilization of high stakes Common Core standardized tests and refused to have their children be any part of this culture of testing.”

 “Yesterday, parents gave the Governor, Legislature and State Education Department a failing report card on their efforts to engage children in actual learning and not teaching to take developmentally inappropriate tests that only measure how well children take exams.”

“When schools are sending home notices to parents to help third graders cope with test anxiety then you know the pendulum on testing has swung too far. No child should have such stress over a test at a young age or ask their parents if they need to take extra ADHD medicine before test day as one constituent relayed to me.”

“In this representative democracy people have the power – not politicians, bureaucrats in ivory towers or multinational corporations that are seeking to make billions of tax dollars by shoving these tests down the throats of parents and teachers.”

“SED should be transparent with the public and now release the percentages of students statewide and regionally who refused to take the tests.”

When the legislature returns to session next week, a top legislative priority should be taking up my bi-partisan legislation, the Common Core Parental Refusal Act (A.6025/S.4161), to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests.”

“Once we codify into law protections for students, schools and teachers when it comes to refusing the tests, the Governor, Legislature and SED need to start listening to parents and educators and take a holistic look at Common Core to take steps to end the culture of testing in New York and foster a culture of learning,” said Tedisco

Tedisco’s 7 steps to go back to ending the Common Core testing madness are below:

What do we want to do to stop the Common Core testing madness?

1)      New standards and exams that are developed with input from teachers, educators, parents, college officials, and employers from New York – not faceless bureaucrats and multi-national corporations.

2)      Reduction in the over-utilization of Common Core standardized tests by reducing the number of hours kids spend taking and preparing for the tests.

3)      Tests and test questions that are developmentally appropriate for the age and grade of the child taking the exam.

4)      Tests and test questions that do not re-write history or have a political bias.

5)      Tests that are primarily utilized to evaluate the educational needs of students and help move children forward in their development, and not as a tool to criticize and categorize children.

6)      Minimal use of tests as an evaluator of the effectiveness of teachers and educators as just one small measurement of several to determine strengths of how students are learning in the classroom.

7)      An alternative high school diploma for kids to better ensure there are multiple pathways toward a career or college (i.e. via BOCES or going to a Community College or technical school).

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