Teachers Group Urges Parents To Opt Children Out Of Standardized Testing

The Miami Herald (3/28, McGrory) profiles Ceresta Smith, a teacher in Florida's Miami-Dade school district who "had a litany of concerns about high-stakes testing," and therefore allowed her teenage daughter to "opt out" of Florida's FCAT standardized test. "Smith is part of a coalition of teachers urging parents across the country to opt their children out of standardized tests. The group – which says parents have a right to say no to standardized tests - has supporters in all 50 states, Smith said, and has caught the attention of education bloggers and think tanks. State education officials, however, say state law requires all children to participate in the testing program."