By Rex Germer, Town of Webb school Superintendent
State assessments begin next week [starting Tuesday, April 14]. It is a requirement of Federal Law that students in grades 3–8 be assessed.
The tests are designed and administered by the State of New York under this law.
The Board of Education and Administration are bound by this law to administer these assessments locally without any mechanism to “opt-out” of the administration based on our current position as a public school receiving State and Federal funding.
The State has made it very clear that Boards of Education and Administrators can be removed if they fail to follow the laws and their oaths of office.
The New York State Teachers Union as well as other associated unions have come forward to encourage parents to opt out of testing through community organized informational meetings, media outlets and social media.
As part of the Federal Laws dictating administration of the assessments it is also a requirement that 95% of students within those populations be assessed annually.
Due to the size of our enrollment it won’t take much for us not to reach that 95% and see potential consequences associated with that lack of compliance.