Opting out of High Stakes Testing in Colorado

The Colorado standardized tests for K-12 public education are misused, inaccurate, and inappropriate tools used to judge student achievement, school quality, and teacher effectiveness. Additionally, taxpayer 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.

We, the people of Colorado, in order to return a whole and equitable public education to the students of Colorado, exercise our right to opt out of high stakes testing in multiple ways:

As parents/guardians we will opt our children out of the state test by exercising our 1st and 14th Amendment rights of the federal Constitution.

As residents, we opt out by breaking the cycle of complicity; instead, we challenge and question by forming groups and hosting meetings where we can develop viable and realistic forms of resistance suited to our community's needs. We do not assume that those in power know best.

As residents, we opt out by recognizing that the term "choice" is used by those in power to divert attention and resources from public schools and into the hands of privateers.

As residents, we opt out by changing the narrative though our discourse with neighbors, parents, students, grandparents, schools, community organizations, and more, as we recognize its use to dismantle public education.