Opt Out Organizers Urge Parents

To Spurn Common Core Testing

COOPERSTOWN – Seventy-some parents and teachers who are parents were told this afternoon to “opt out” of allowing their children to participate in the state’s Common Core testing this spring.

“If you deny them access to the test scores,” said Jamie McNair, who with his wife, Jessica, is an organizer of Opt Out NY, “the whole thing falls apart.”

The McNairs, both teachers in the New Hartford district, spoke to a full house in the Village Board meeting room at 22 Main for about 90 minutes.  Many of the attendees were also at the CCS board meeting Wednesday evening.

The McNairs’ thesis was that, by cutting back funding for public schools, and now through a teacher evaluation component in the Common Core program, the Cuomo Administration is seeking the failure of public schools, with the idea of replacing them with charter schools supported by “hedge fund managers” who contributed to the governor’s campaign.

Parent Kim Jastremski, who invited the McNairs to town after being asked to do so by several teachers, told the audience today that all of the people who spoke to the CCS board were parents, and she encouraged teachers to plan to speak up at the next meeting on March 18.

Among those attending were CCS board members Mary Leonard and Marcy Birch, who advised the gathering the school district is holding informational session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, to answer any questions parents may have about the Common Core.  The deadline to opt out is that Friday, the 27th.