The debate surrounding standardized testing has simmered down, but it was once a heated topic in our community. When testing season arrived, nearly 15 percent of families opted their children out, and the range of opinions on the tests’ effectiveness sparked deep conversations. Ultimately, we decided that our son would not participate in these assessments.
Despite the ongoing discussions, some people still don’t fully grasp the motivations behind the opt-out movement. Take Rachel Johnson, for example, a dedicated sixth-grade teacher in our state. She recently expressed her belief that all students should take these tests. With 18 years of teaching experience and a master’s degree in education, Rachel speaks from a place of knowledge. However, her understanding of why parents like me chose to opt out seems misguided.
Rachel assumes that opting out stems from students’ reluctance to take tests or the stress associated with them. In reality, my decision had nothing to do with my son’s feelings about testing. He might dislike homework or brushing his teeth, but those are non-negotiable tasks. The issue at hand is much deeper than a simple aversion to tests.
In her article, Rachel warns against the growing sentiment in education that allows students to choose what they will participate in. She argues that we are teaching our children to avoid challenges. But that’s not the reason we opted out of standardized testing.
What many parents believe is that standardized tests fail to accurately reflect a student’s strengths and weaknesses or a teacher’s effectiveness. In our state, a group of over 500 principals signed a letter indicating that the tests often feature ambiguous questions, leading to confusion among educators and students alike.
Though I’ve always excelled at taking tests, I have my reservations about their necessity. When I moved to the U.S. for college, I was required to take the SATs without any prior preparation, as they are not part of the Canadian education system. I taught myself test-taking strategies and ultimately performed well. However, I recognize that the sixth-grade assessments my son was set to take wouldn’t aid him in any future academic pursuits. Therefore, I felt it was essential to opt out and send a message to the Department of Education.
As my son and fellow opt-out students were escorted to the cafeteria during testing, they were given time to read quietly. No homework was assigned during testing weeks, leaving my son with little to do. Although he found the situation boring, we chose not to let him go to the diner with friends. Our goal was to teach him about standing firm in his beliefs, not to avoid discomfort or difficulty. There are ample opportunities for him to learn perseverance and hard work in other aspects of life.
When the topic of tests arose, my son presented arguments against taking them that we were already familiar with. We were proud of his awareness and supported him in his decision—not by letting him escape to the diner, but by standing by him through the cafeteria discomfort.
In opting out, we wanted to ensure he learned to advocate for his principles, even when it was inconvenient. I hope this lesson remains with him throughout his life.
If you’re interested in learning more about parenting choices, check out this insightful article on parenting decisions. Additionally, for those considering at-home insemination, Make A Mom offers reliable syringe kits, while ASRM provides excellent resources for pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, our choice to opt out of standardized testing was driven by a desire to instill values of advocacy and principle in our son rather than allowing him to shy away from challenges.
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