How do I opt my child out of testing

[Anonymous]

I want to know what the formal "opt out" process is for DCPS. I am very much against PARCC/corporate testing and its effect on the curriculum. However, I don't want my child penalized for not taking the exam and I don't want him to sit in a room twiddling his thumbs all day. Ideas?

[Anonymous]

Inform Principal and child's teacher

[Anonymous]

There is no formal opt out (confirmed at a recent meeting with DCPS PARCC officials). So your options are medical reasons or truancy, neither of which - to me! - seem wroth the trouble of potentially harming your child's records.

[Anonymous]

Just curious - if you are so opposed to testing why do you send your child to public schools? Its not just about the couple days spent taking the test but the fact that the curriculum is designed around the test. If you are so opposed to the test that you would consider not sending your child to school those days why would you send them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no formal opt out (confirmed at a recent meeting with DCPS PARCC officials). So your options are medical reasons or truancy, neither of which - to me! - seem wroth the trouble of potentially harming your child's records.

This. There is no option to other than to take the test or take your kids out of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious - if you are so opposed to testing why do you send your child to public schools? Its not just about the couple days spent taking the test but the fact that the curriculum is designed around the test. If you are so opposed to the test that you would consider not sending your child to school those days why would you send them at all.

Oh, I dunno. Maybe the OP likes the rest of what happens at school. Since many people seem to think that these tests are NBD, obviously y'all must know that standardized testing is only a small part of a public school experience.

[Anonymous]

So you think its right to pick and choose the parts of public school you want and don't want. What if I don't think my child should be taught art - should I just pull them out for that period every week in protest? I don't necessarily like the PARCC testing but pulling your child out for just those days seems like a childish response that will only penalize the school, the teacher, and potentially your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to know what the formal "opt out" process is for DCPS. I am very much against PARCC/corporate testing and its effect on the curriculum. However, I don't want my child penalized for not taking the exam and I don't want him to sit in a room twiddling his thumbs all day. Ideas?

keep him home. The school isn't obligated to provide entertainment or instruction for your child while he is opting out of participating in the school-wide activity. Testing requires extra hands on deck(volunteer proctors) even without the conscientious objectors underfoot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you think its right to pick and choose the parts of public school you want and don't want. What if I don't think my child should be taught art - should I just pull them out for that period every week in protest? I don't necessarily like the PARCC testing but pulling your child out for just those days seems like a childish response that will only penalize the school, the teacher, and potentially your child.

I think it's sort of the moral equivalent of a conservative religious family not wanting their child being in a sex ed class and requesting that their child be exempt from that class, actually. One might ask why that family sends their child to a school that provides sex ed at all, which makes the school nothing more than a sex ed vehicle and ignores the fact that they also teach math and English. It sounds like what you're saying is "So what if you object to this thing? Your child should do that thing anyway, because it's in everyone's best interest that they do." People register their concern about and objection to things all the time. The OP was just asking if there is a formal mechanism for doing that in this situation.

[Anonymous]

I mean, can they force a child to take the test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you think its right to pick and choose the parts of public school you want and don't want. What if I don't think my child should be taught art - should I just pull them out for that period every week in protest? I don't necessarily like the PARCC testing but pulling your child out for just those days seems like a childish response that will only penalize the school, the teacher, and potentially your child.

I think it's sort of the moral equivalent of a conservative religious family not wanting their child being in a sex ed class and requesting that their child be exempt from that class, actually. One might ask why that family sends their child to a school that provides sex ed at all, which makes the school nothing more than a sex ed vehicle and ignores the fact that they also teach math and English. It sounds like what you're saying is "So what if you object to this thing? Your child should do that thing anyway, because it's in everyone's best interest that they do." People register their concern about and objection to things all the time. The OP was just asking if there is a formal mechanism for doing that in this situation.

But when the child is exempted from sex-ed, the school doesn't have any obligations to provide other activities, correct? the child goes to sit in the library or in the back of another class...I don't see an issue with opting out, just think it takes chutzpah to demand that the child not be left 'twiddling his thumbs' during the down time HIS PARENTS created

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you think its right to pick and choose the parts of public school you want and don't want. What if I don't think my child should be taught art - should I just pull them out for that period every week in protest? I don't necessarily like the PARCC testing but pulling your child out for just those days seems like a childish response that will only penalize the school, the teacher, and potentially your child.

I think it's sort of the moral equivalent of a conservative religious family not wanting their child being in a sex ed class and requesting that their child be exempt from that class, actually. One might ask why that family sends their child to a school that provides sex ed at all, which makes the school nothing more than a sex ed vehicle and ignores the fact that they also teach math and English. It sounds like what you're saying is "So what if you object to this thing? Your child should do that thing anyway, because it's in everyone's best interest that they do." People register their concern about and objection to things all the time. The OP was just asking if there is a formal mechanism for doing that in this situation.

But when the child is exempted from sex-ed, the school doesn't have any obligations to provide other activities, correct? the child goes to sit in the library or in the back of another class...I don't see an issue with opting out, just think it takes chutzpah to demand that the child not be left 'twiddling his thumbs' during the down time HIS PARENTS created

Sure, I agree. I think the kid can read in the library or in the back of the class or whatever and does not need to be provided special opt-out activities on that day. I just think that opting out and going to the library or whatever should be an option, rather than the only option being "keep your kid home" or "make up a medical excuse." People should be able to be honest and this system encourages dishonesty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to know what the formal "opt out" process is for DCPS. I am very much against PARCC/corporate testing and its effect on the curriculum. However, I don't want my child penalized for not taking the exam and I don't want him to sit in a room twiddling his thumbs all day. Ideas?

OP, Talk to your principal.

[Anonymous]

There is a month-long window of testing in March and then the EOY exams in the month of May. You are considering keeping your child home for 2 months because.... why?

[Anonymous]

Opted my kids out without any pushback from Principals.

I will just keep my kids home during that time (yes, I do work). I don't expect the school to provide another activity for them. It is only a few hours on a few days.