Opt Out Texas

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing as an educational reform has yet to deliver meaningful change to the public education system,

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing has yet to be proven as a formal and accurate measurement of student learning,

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing forces schools and school systems to utilize in some cases 45 out of 180 days of instructional time,

Whereas state-mandated testing costs in excess of $100,000,000 per year in tax payer funds to administer,

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing violates the first and fourteenth amendments of the federal constitution and therefore disallows citizens to act on their rights,

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing violates the fair labor standards act of 1938,

Whereas state-mandated standardized testing of school-aged children does not comply with the mission of the public education system in the state of Texas as described in Sec. 4.001 of the state constitution:

The mission of the public education system of this state is to ensure that all Texas children have access to a quality education that enables them to achieve their potential and fully participate now and in the future in the social, economic, and educational opportunities of our state and nation. That mission is grounded on the conviction that a general diffusion of knowledge is essential for the welfare of this state and for the preservation of the liberties and rights of citizens. It is further grounded on the conviction that a successful public education system is directly related to a strong, dedicated, and supportive family and that parental involvement in the school is essential for the maximum educational achievement of a child,

We, the undersigned parents/guardians, exercise our first and fourteenth Amendment rights of the United States Constitution to opt our children out of standardized testing that is misused as an inaccurate and inappropriate tool to judge student achievement, school quality, and teacher effectiveness.

We, the undersigned citizens, support parents/guardians in their effort to opt their school-aged children out of standardized testing that is misused as an inaccurate and inappropriate tool to judge student achievement, school quality, and teacher effectiveness.

Additionally, we collectively agree that our tax paid money should no longer be used to pay for the mass production of these tests, the grading of these tests, and the forensic examination of the legitimacy of the completed tests.

To support parents and teachers alike, we need to let our state representatives know that the use of high stakes testing is damaging children, teachers, schools and communities.