DeLauro-Reed Testing “Opt Out” Proposal Will EMPOWER Parents, Help Students and Protect Schools

WASHINGTON, DC--Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tom Reed (R-NY) are announcing the introduction of bipartisan legislation which aims to put power back in the hands of parents when it comes to the education of their children.

The EMPOWER (Enable More Parents to Opt-Out Without Endangering Resources) Act would allow parents to opt-out of annual standardized testing required for their children by No Child Left Behind, such as the assessments aligned with Common Core.

Unfortunately, as parents began to opt-out their children from testing, many school districts saw their federal funding in jeopardy, putting many school districts in difficult financial situations.

DeLauro said: “Parents need to be empowered to make the educational decisions that suit their children the best. Testing can be a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying problems and determining how best to help children succeed. But making high-stakes tests rather than learning the centerpiece of the education system, and the one and only indicator of success or failure, is problematic.”

“Our school districts should not be punished because parents exercise this choice,” said Reed. “Tens of thousands of parents have already opted their children out of required public school testing and students and teachers alike have felt the financial sting for non-compliance. It simply isn’t fair to take away the resources they need or shift the financial burden to local property tax payers,” Reed continued.

The legislation has also received support from both the National Education Association (NEA) and the New York State Teachers Union (NYSTU).

The NEA recently issued the following statement on the bill: “[w]e applaud Representatives Reed and DeLauro for their leadership on this issue. Every parent should have the right to have a powerful say in their child’s education. We fully support parents who take a stand against tests that serve no educational purpose. But ensuring parents have this right is not the end game. The end game is designing a system where parents and educators don’t even consider opting out of assessments because they trust that assessments make sense, guide instruction, and help children advance in learning. The bill further protects educators from any recrimination for informing parents of any opt out policy.”