Title: As Common Core Testing Is Ushered In, Parents and Students Opt Out - The New York Times
Headings: As Common Core Testing Is Ushered In, Parents and Students Opt Out
As Common Core Testing Is Ushered In, Parents and Students Opt Out
Content: “There are forces united against it on the left side of the aisle and the right of the aisle,” said James Crisfield, a former superintendent of the school district in Millburn, N.J. “We’re also talking about things that are happening to one’s child. You mix that all up into a caldron and it does create some really high levels of interest, high levels of passion — and, shall we say, enthusiasm.” New Jersey’s teachers’ union, the New Jersey Education Association, is in the midst of a six-week run of advertisements against the partnership, one of which features an emotional parent describing his overworked first grader, and another talking about the elimination of science classes to make way for test preparation. ( Testing begins in third grade, but the union contends that schools begin grooming students for it earlier.) Teachers in the state who instruct classes to be tested will see 10 percent of their evaluation tied to this year’s exams. That is down from the 30 percent the state initially announced. The figure will be re-evaluated before a decision is made on next year’s percentage. Steve Wollmer, director of communications for the union, said the group does not oppose teacher evaluations. The union was motivated to get involved, he said, because true teaching is being replaced by test preparation. He also said union members were concerned that poor students would be at a disadvantage because the tests will be taken on computers, and those students might have less experience with keyboards.