Kathy Perez has been an activist and a friend of MORE for some time. I have a great deal of respect for Kathy and glad that I can call her a friend.

Kathy took the lead herself several years ago in opting her children of testing. In fact, Kathy's daughter Elizabeth, who is now 15, has refused to test since 5th grade and in fact was the first student to opt out ever in the Baldwin, LI school district.

With that in mind, Elizabeth now 15 and a freshman at Calhoun HS in the Bellmore-Merrick school district, is still a leader in the opt out movement. She can see clearly through all the BS.

Elizabeth took the time to share her thoughts with The Crack Team on what opting out has meant, and still means, for her. We need to hear from more student leaders like Elizabeth and take comfort that we know that we who advocate for opting out are passing our beliefs and core principles down to a younger generation.

We here at SBSB wish to thank Elizabeth for sharing her words and are proud to share them here on these pages.

For the first few years that I opted out of the New York State tests, people looked at me funny, asked me why I wasn’t taking them, and I was pretty much the only one to be reading a book rather than filling in a scantron, being sure to not make any stray marks. But as the years went on, the number of kids not taking the tests increased, and we eventually were taken into the cafeteria while the tests were being taken. I almost looked forward to testing week, even though everyone else was stressed. I got to spend a few hours taking naps, reading, or doing homework rather than sitting in class. All throughout elementary school and middle school I opted out of the tests, turning in my refusal letters on the first day like it was routine, and never did my parents or I think it affected my grades or my chances of getting into college, as some people claim it does. 

Now, I’m an honor roll high school student, with a plan to go to college, become a psychiatrist and an advocate for human rights, and I’ve refused the New York State exams. So, I’m pretty sure that my opting out of the tests hasn’t taken a toll on my education. I never really understood why these tests were even administered in the first place, considering the fact that they hold no benefit to anyone who takes them, and all they do is somehow display a teacher’s effectiveness through a student’s test grade. I know that I’m more than an ID number or test score. I don’t need a rigged exam to tell me what I’m capable of, or how effective my teachers are and hopefully, when I’m older, I won’t have to write refusal letters for my children at all.

Great words from a future leader.

I did it today! It was not the first time. Last year I did it for the first time and I never felt so good and free about doing something.

Early this afternoon I emailed my son's principal and officially opted my son, and 8th grader in Harrison NY, out of the New York State ELA exam. Just as he was last year my son is again delighted to having been opted out. Sadly there is no opting him out of the math exam. He is taking Algebra I this year and instead he is taking (And there is nothing we can do) the Regents exam for Algebra I.

Last year my son reported back to me that there were about a dozen or so student who did not take the ELA exam in his school (Grades 6-8) and about double that for math. That is not enough.

In the middle school in Harrison there are about 900 students in the entire middle school. There needs to be 900 students not taking the exams this year. That many students opting out, as well as all the students in the 4 elementary school in Harrison will be just one link in the chain across the state of parents saying, "enough is enough," and deciding that they will not allow their children to be pawns and victims in Governor Andy's vendettas.

Each and every parent in Harrison has the power to stop testing in New York State and our schools back in the control of Dr Louis Wool and the board president, Abby Mendelsohn. We are the parents, families, guardians of our children and the decisions that most effect our children should be made on Union Ave and not on Albany. We can not sit by any longer and let a bought off governor decide what is best.

Does Governor Andy have what is best in mind for the students in Purchase? In West Harrison? Downtown? No. We trust our administrators, we trust our teachers, we trust ourselves, we can;t trust a politician who has received over $4.8 million from hedge fund managers.

As a parent or guardian you have every right to now allow your child, your most precious asset not to take the test. The madness must stop now. Don't wait to long. The ELA exam starts next week with the math exam the following week.

If you need guidance or advice on how to do this please check out these websites;

CHANGE THE STAKES

NEW YORK STATE ALLIES FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION 

And don't forget to listen to me on WFAS-AM 120 tomorrow morning as we discuss opting out.

The laughs and the comedy stylings coming from NYC Parents Union are just too much to keep up
with.

Back in April, Mona Davids tweeted out that 50% of NYC can't read or write at grade level. Remember, this is before the opportunity came to take advantage of an opportunity only for Mona.

@TweetBenMax @SquarePegDem We don't care about grade promotion tweaks. We care about 50%+ that can't read & write at grade level. Fix that.
— NYC Parents Union (@NYCParentsUnion) April 9, 2014

Mona never cited her sources, just doing what she does, pulling a number out of the air and running with it.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. Mona's Minion (Hey that has a nice ring to it!) Sam Pirozzolo in a Twitter rant claimed that NYC Parents Union filed their lawsuit on behalf of the 80% who can't read or write.

@rweingarten 80% of students can't read and write. How's that reform workin out for ya?!
— Sam Pirozzolo (@SPirozzolo) July 5, 2014

So we have gone from 50% of students are not at grade level to, 80% of students can't read or write. Using Sam's words, henceforth 80% of students in NYC are illiterate.

I asked Sam for some kind of verification that 80% of students can't read or write, some kind of evidence. Sam quickly obliged.

.@SoBronxSchool http://t.co/AbX5nOhnko
— Sam Pirozzolo (@SPirozzolo) July 6, 2014

and....

.@SoBronxSchool @Marquis1906 @rweingarten you know CEJ they are UFT funded I strongly suggest you look at page 6 http://t.co/hKbyyHBvmI
— Sam Pirozzolo (@SPirozzolo) July 6, 2014

What Sam fails to realize, perhaps because he is too busy bellowing the falsehoods in his brain and too busy shoveling snow naked is that both reports he cites are based on 8th grade students. And worse, they are based on tests, standardized tests from 2013 that have been roundly criticized not just by teachers and parents but politicians as well.

These tests in New York State have been so critiqued that Governor Andy, desperate to get re-elected by a greater than 55% margin has suspended using the tests to evaluate teachers for 2 years. What does that tell you?

What Mona and her Minion fail to realize that how one does on an exam has nothing to do with whether or not one is at grade level. It just shows that that student is able to do well, or poorly, that day, on that particular exam.

Using that logic, my son, who got a 2's on last year's state Math and ELA exams should be part of the lawsuit. His grade in 6th grade for both Math and ELA were both over 90, so then what gives?

Could it be that the fact that of the 3 days of the ELA exam not one student in his class completed the exam on 2 of the days? Could it be that the tests are flawed? He felt too much pressure? There are a multitude of reasons why he, and the students of NYC and New York State didn't perform well on the tests in 2013. But of course, Mona and her Minion want to take the easy way out and blame teachers and tenure.

We here at SBSB suggest that Mona goes back to whatever it is she does and that Sam goes back and concentrates on correcting astigmatisms.

This can be done. This should be done. Parents of Harrison NY, Westchester County, and NYC,
please read. This is important. You can take back control of your child's education.

I have been wanting to opt out my son of the NYS exams for a number of years. Actually every year since he started testing. He is in 7th grade now and I have finally decided that enough is enough. This year he is not wasting his time taking the state ELA and math exams.

The people it took the most convincing to opt him out have been my wife and my step-mother, a retired (13 years now) AP in the Bronx. For those who are of the Jewish persuasion you know with Jewish mothers you kinda don't have much of a say at times. But I digress.

After last years ELA debacle in which not one student in his class finished the exam on any of the 3 days testing a stand had to be made.

Both my wife and step-mother had serious preconceptions to what not taking the exams meant. One argument from both of them was that this would be a great way for him to learn and feel comfortable taking tests when he gets into high school.  Of course the NYS Regents exams and the SAT's are two totally different beasts compared to these so called tests. My wife and I, and certainly my step mother, never took high stakes tests such as these and we, well maybe I should say just they, did fine in high school exams. As for me, well, I took my PSAT's and then lost interest.

But of course my son over the years, and even now in 7th grade, has had to take tests in class. Wouldn't these tests which are teacher created better and more relevant to what he is actually learning? So I think he is pretty comfortable with test taking and at the age of nearly 13 (in June) I am confident that he can take a #2 pencil to a little circle and fill it in properly, which actually is the only skill one gets from standardized exams.

Another reason that my wife and step-mother gave for him taking the exams is that he not only would be ostracized by the other students and friends in his grade, but he will feel singled out being on the outside looking in.

On Thursday night I decided that a scientific experiment was in order to test the above hypotheses. I called him into the bedroom while my wife and I were watching the NCAA's. I asked him would he feel bad if he didn't take the exams and would the other kids make fun of him. His reaction was that he would not feel bad and that the other kids would want to know where they can sign up to miss the exams. In fact as this is being written he is texting his friends telling them he is not taking the exams. His friends are way jel.

My wife and step-mother also claimed that the tests are used to place my son in the proper classes next year in 8th grade. Immediately, I cried bullocks.

My son has consistently made honor roll (Not being a braggart here). Besides, if the teachers and guidance counselors in his middle school don't know where to place him next year, well, they ain't doing their jobs.

Now my wife brings up an interesting point. She (and remember the all encomposing Jewish neurosis) claims that the administration will seek revenge on my son and keep him from participating in school events or make him stay in at lunch and other kinds of punitive measures.

I can't believe for a second that any administrator in Harrison NY will ever stoop this low. Maybe in cities with over 1 million in population, but not Harrison.

And my wife is concerned with what the teachers will think. So am I. That's another reason why I am opting my son out. I will not allow my son to be used as a pawn to damage or end a teacher's career.

Think about it. Our children, the very same children that Governor Andy claims he is the chief lobbyist, are pawns used by politicians and the Corporatists, and the testing companies such as Pearson.Why? So someone can pocket some cash, make up for some Freudian physical shortcoming, and to screw and privatize a noble profession. That's it and nothing more.

It's time parents of New York State fight back against the Corporatists and their pawn Governor Andy and what has been done to education in this country.

For those that want more information, follow NYS Allies for Education for how the "How to Opt Out" primer. It can be done, it should be done!

Amazing that I and The Crack Team are still able to get these super duper secret emails that Sock Puppet Chancellor Walcott send out to his centurions, er, I meant principals. The emails are now harder to get, yet through quite nefarious mean, still quite obtainable. Attached to the email is a letter to hand to parents for them to prepare for low scores as well.

So to summarize, Dennis' email he appears to be greasing the skids for the abject total complete shitty scores the NYC DOE is expecting because the tests are "harder." Well, what else can one expect when there is bullshit curriculum being used and implemented across the city. Do you think the parents of Roslyn, Scarsdale, Upper Saddle River, or Rye or being told to expect low scores? Noooooooooo!!!!!

Funny thing I notice, in Dennis' email he suggests that parents be directed to EngageNY or Common Core Library to learn more. Yeah, sure, right, of course, that is really going to happen. /sarcasm

Sorry about the quality.

I always loved social studies. I was political as a kid. I grew up in a political household. My grandfather was a precinct captain for the Democrats back in the day. He would canvass cemeteries to register new voters.

I always ask my child about what is being taught in social studies. I look forward to the day when my child is old enough and we can go on trips to all the historic sites in the Northeast. That is why I was saddened when in the course of chatting with some fifth grade students I learned a horrible truth.

I was having pizza with several fifth graders when I asked them what is it they are currently studying in social studies. I was looking forward to them telling me and having a back and forth discussion. Imagine my chagrin when I was informed that they will not be doing any social studies until March. Why March you ask? The reason the students gave me is that between now and the statewide math exam all they will be doing is getting ready for the test.

Yup, lots of learning happening there.