RVA Opt Out is an organization that hopes to engage the city of Richmond, VA in the movement towards ending the standardization of education.
Parents opting their children out of standardized testing has been gaining momentum throughout the country.
It is not merely the end of the year tests that create an anxiety-filled environment for our kids, but also that the practice of this type of testing resides in all areas of our schools. Benchmark testing that aligns to pacing guides puts a strangle hold on our teachers, cutting creativity out of the classroom. Students are bearing the burden of the success of their schools, being drilled information, having non-SOL classes taken away, losing recess and electives and testing hours a day in preparation for the end of year Standards of Learning assessment. Our students are stressed, frustrated and emotionally-drained and are losing their love of school and learning.
But you can help. It is simple and legal. It will not be detrimental to your child.
RVA Opt Out has a two-fold approach to making change that helps parents take a stand and helps our local schools to not be analyzed or punished by our decision to opt out of the SOLS. Please take the time to explore each approach and fill out the Opt Out Forms for your child!
APPROACH 1 - PARENTAL RIGHTS
It is extraordinarily important that parents understand that they DO in fact, have rights pertaining to whether or not their child will take the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments. By exercising their rights, parents have the potential to make huge changes to the educational system. As the momentum of this movement builds and more people participate in making the choice to say no to standardization, schools will be forced reevaluate the teaching to the test mentality. Parents with children in elementary or middle school have differing choices than those with students who are taking classes for high school credits. RVA Opt Out will even provide the forms you need to easily express your decision to opt your child out of the SOLs.
APPROACH 2 - PROTECTING OUR SCHOOLS
Unfortunately, the ways in which schools are currently measured, involves the scoring of the Standards of Learning. When parents choose to keep their children from testing, the schools currently have no way to distinguish a child who has opted out from one that has failed or received a zero. RVA Opt Out will also petition the state to allow for schools to demonstrate the number of students who have "opted out" from the SOLs. This would allow the state to see for themselves that parents want change and allow the schools to protect themselves from false analysis of their test scores.
But it's not always as easy as it would seem. We must band together, become educated and be willing to continue the conversation even when administrators and politicians are resisting. We must work together in civil disobedience so that we can save our kids from an education void of creativity, joy and the love of learning.
Parents opting their children out of standardized testing has been gaining momentum throughout the country.
It is not merely the end of the year tests that create an anxiety-filled environment for our kids, but also that the practice of this type of testing resides in all areas of our schools. Benchmark testing that aligns to pacing guides puts a strangle hold on our teachers, cutting creativity out of the classroom. Students are bearing the burden of the success of their schools, being drilled information, having non-SOL classes taken away, losing recess and electives and testing hours a day in preparation for the end of year Standards of Learning assessment. Our students are stressed, frustrated and emotionally-drained and are losing their love of school and learning.
But you can help. It is simple and legal. It will not be detrimental to your child.
RVA Opt Out has a two-fold approach to making change that helps parents take a stand and helps our local schools to not be analyzed or punished by our decision to opt out of the SOLS. Please take the time to explore each approach and fill out the Opt Out Forms for your child!
APPROACH 1 - PARENTAL RIGHTS
It is extraordinarily important that parents understand that they DO in fact, have rights pertaining to whether or not their child will take the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments. By exercising their rights, parents have the potential to make huge changes to the educational system. As the momentum of this movement builds and more people participate in making the choice to say no to standardization, schools will be forced reevaluate the teaching to the test mentality. Parents with children in elementary or middle school have differing choices than those with students who are taking classes for high school credits. RVA Opt Out will even provide the forms you need to easily express your decision to opt your child out of the SOLs.
APPROACH 2 - PROTECTING OUR SCHOOLS
Unfortunately, the ways in which schools are currently measured, involves the scoring of the Standards of Learning. When parents choose to keep their children from testing, the schools currently have no way to distinguish a child who has opted out from one that has failed or received a zero. RVA Opt Out will also petition the state to allow for schools to demonstrate the number of students who have "opted out" from the SOLs. This would allow the state to see for themselves that parents want change and allow the schools to protect themselves from false analysis of their test scores.
But it's not always as easy as it would seem. We must band together, become educated and be willing to continue the conversation even when administrators and politicians are resisting. We must work together in civil disobedience so that we can save our kids from an education void of creativity, joy and the love of learning.
