<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><font color="#1a1a1a" class=""><font face="Arial" size="2" class="">Spring
is the season of the state tests, but it also seems to be the season
of protest! </font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><font color="#1a1a1a" class=""><font face="Arial" size="2" class="">As
many of you know, TNS families have opted out of these tests in
increasing numbers, joining families across New York State in
the boycott. We strongly believe that the current system of
New York State English language arts and math testing has been
counterproductive and harmful, and our hope is that statewide enough
parents will boycott the tests to force the state to get rid of them
in their current form. We have reasons to be optimistic. Parent
organizing led to more than 200,000 people refusing to take these
tests for three years running, and the pressure has brought change.
New York finally started to tweak its testing program and has made
some important changes, including forbidding schools from holding
children back solely or primarily for poor test performance, reducing
testing hours, and holding off punishing teachers based on unreliable
metrics. Refusing to participate in this shockingly bad standardized
testing system benefits your family personally, but is also clearly
effective in changing education policy.</font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class="">As
we listen to stories of students at other schools coming home, bags
weighed down by test prep packets, their teachers miserable because
they don’t have freedom in the classroom, we feel a responsibility
to fight hard to maintain the special curriculum at TNS, but also to
have solidarity with children at other schools who are overwhelmed by
test prep. There is still a long way to go. The tests are still used
to close schools against community wishes (in under-resourced
communities of color). Pressure to do well on ill-designed
standardized tests warps instruction in too many schools (again,
mostly in under-resourced communities of color). Think about this
when you decide whether or not your child should participate in this
system.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><font face="Arial" size="2" class=""><font color="#1a1a1a" class="">The
tests begin Wednesday, April 11th. Members of the Advocacy
Committee will be in the lobby every morning this week with
information and opt out forms. In order to opt out of the state tests
you need to inform the school. You can do this with a simple form
letter. We will provide and collect form letters which can be
filled out in a few seconds. We encourage you to inform the
school of your plans—whether your are opting out or taking the
tests—as soon as possible as it will help teachers plan for
the day of testing. We also encourage you to come to the Forum on
Testing on the morning of Tuesday March 27</font><font color="#1a1a1a" class=""><sup class="">th</sup></font><font color="#1a1a1a" class="">.
Teachers and fellow parents will answer any questions you ask.</font></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><font face="Arial" size="2" class=""><font color="#1a1a1a" class="">Opt
Out NYC has produced two very short videos that sum up much of what
is wrong with the tests, and why opting out of them is the most
powerful form of protest. Please check them out and share if they
inspire you </font><a href="https://www.optoutnyc.com/how-to-opt-out/" class=""><font color="#103cc0" class=""><u class="">https://www.optoutnyc.com/how-to-opt-out/</u></font></a><font color="#1a1a1a" class=""> .</font></font></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); margin-bottom: 0in;" class="">
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in" class=""><font color="#1a1a1a" class=""><font face="Arial" size="2" class="">-The
Advocacy Committee </font></font></p></body></html>