NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle FUSE is calling for “All Hands on Deck” to push New Rochelle parents to opt-out their children out of the upcoming state assessment exams.
The New Rochelle school system’s union for teachers, staff and service-related processionals will undertake an organized effort this week to discourage students in New Rochelle from sitting for state exams.
The New York State Unified Teachers announced its call for a boycott of the state’s ELA and Math assessments for grades 3-8 next week.
FUSE members will meet Tuesday at Albert Leonard Middle School at 4 p.m. to mobilize efforts to support the NYSUT boycott.
In a letter sent to FUSE members on Monday, the union expressed their opposition to the New York State budget passed in Albany last week.
“Lawmakers passed an disastrous education budget that weakens local control of school districts, called for a draconian revision of the current APPR legislation and undermined both collective bargaining rights and teacher tenure,” said FUSE President Martin Daly.
“The New Rochelle FUSE wholeheartedly supports this call for parents to refuse to allow their children to sit for hours for a test that is meaningless except to punish teachers, principals and schools,” said Daly “Even before NYSUT called for a boycott of the tests, our union had already adopted the ‘I Refuse Resolution’ calling on our members to opt their children out of these harmful tests—and many have already done so.”
Here’s Help on How to Refuse the State Tests
While the term “opt-out” has been used to describe the method of getting out of the state assessments tests, simply keeping your child home during the test will assign the status of “absent” thus requiring retesting when they come back to school. Proper notice in “refusing” the test will negate the need to keep a child home when the retesting is done. Don’t have the attendance record of your child suffer. Click HERE for a link to a standard formatted letter you can use to officially refuse the test. It is available in English and in Spanish. You will find even more usefull information at this site. It’s the New Yoek State ALLIES for Public Education. Join the New York State Unified Teachers, FUSE and others who have spoken out. Do you really want your kids spending weeks going over “test prep” or would you rather they spend their days filled with enrichment as true teachers do what they do best. Teach