A measure pending in the Illinois legislature would give parents the right to have their children skip standardized tests associated with the Common Core curriculum.
The plan proposed by Democratic Representative Will Guzzardi, of Chicago, would require schools to honor written requests from parents for their kids to skip the PARCC test. Currently, students themselves can refuse testing, if they're able and willing to ask, but Guzzardi says there’s no policy telling schools what to do with those kids.
“Some schools and teachers and principals say sure, parent letters are fine, that suffices. Some administrators say a parent letter is absolutely not sufficient. Some say ok if you’re not taking the test, you can go to the library and read a book. Some say if you’re not taking the test, you have to sit and stare at the wall.”
Guzzardi’s plan would require schools to provide instruction or enrichment activities to occupy those students while others took the test. The State Board of Education opposes the legislation.
