The below sample letter to school principals letting them know your child is opting out was graciously offered to CPS from a group of parents in Somerville.
Dear Principal _____________,
We are writing to let you know that our children will not take part in any of the sessions of MCAS
the 2018/19 school year: [Here we listed the names and grades of the 6 students who are opting out.]
We ask that you make arrangements for these children to have a productive
educational experience during the testing period(s). We do not want our children to be logged
into the test by themselves or anyone else, nor sat in front of a computer on which the test will
be given. We request that they be marked as Not Tested for each and every MCAS test this
school year. As per the state’s suggestion, we encourage the test administrator to document the
refusals and keep them on record at ESCS in case questions arise about the school’s
participation rate.
Our decision to opt our children out of MCAS testing is not a reflection of the school or of the
wonderful teachers who work so hard to give our children a first rate education. It is because of
these amazing teachers and administrators that we opt out. We do not want their hands tied by
the demands of a test that does not accurately show what our children know, nor allow for the
creative questioning that is the basis for a well-rounded education. It is not fair to the students,
teachers, or administrators. We hope this small protest can be the start of wider recognition of
the problems with high stakes testing and a move towards addressing its inherent problems.
The decision to opt our children out of MCAS this year is ours alone. Should you have concerns
or questions, please address them to the parents signing this letter, not to our children. As per
the state’s instructions, we do not want our children to be pressured into taking the test nor
punished for not taking it.
We continue to be grateful to be a part of the East Somerville Community School community.
Respectfully,
It is signed by the 12 parents
All teachers and superintendent were cc’d
