The Tyranny of Testing:  Parents Break the Chains

FairTest just updated their stats on the Opt Out movement for 2015-2016.  FairTest is a great resource for what's happening nationally, meanwhile Community Voices in Public Education (CVPE) is tracking choices parents make here in Houston, where this whole thing began.

The new numbers prove that all across the nation, from small towns to big cities, students and their parents are not just opposing the dominance of standardized testing, but choosing not to participate in this flawed system that is so degrading the quality of their education.  

FairTest, which has always advocated for educationally valid assessments, is doing a great service to help people all across the country build common cause.  These numbers serve to demonstrate that opting out is a growing social movement with increasing support across the country.

Here are the highlights of FairTest's largest state Opt-Out figures:

New York	240,000
New Jersey	130,000
Colorado	100,000
Washington State	50,000+
Illinois	44,000
California	20,386
Oregon	~20,000
Florida	20,000
Connecticut	11,200
Rhode Island	10,300
New Mexico	10,000

Be sure to add your city/state/district to FairTest's count by connecting with the Opt-Out network in your state.


In Houston, the hometown of standardized assessments, Community Voices for Public Education reports Opt Outs from from 45 HISD schools and 22 Houston area school districts.  The diversity of Opt Out families is to be noted:  70% of color, 30% Black, 35% Hispanic, 30% White and 10% biracial.

If you're in Texas, especially in the Houston area, and struggling with this issue FairTest and CVPE can connect you to this larger network of parents taking action to reclaim their children's education and working to change the policies that impact kids.