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Policy

Tens of Thousands of New York Students Refuse Tests

Don't worry, they're "meaningless," says Governor Cuomo

J.D. Tuccille | 4.24.2015 4:45 PM

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United to Counter the Core

In New York, where a full-fledged rebellion against Common Core-based standardized testing is underway, about 17 percent of students have reportedly refused the English Language Arts exam, and similar numbers for the Math exam are still flowing in. Considering that participation is technically mandatory, that's an impressive sign of grassroots resistance to both the controversial standards and the tests intended to measure progress toward their implementation.

Over 80,000 students have refused to take this week's Math exam, with just 22.5 percent of the state's school districts reporting, according to United to Counter the Core—with numbers piling up fast enough that the group's Facebook page triumph-o-graphics can't keep pace. Last week's English Language Arts Exam racked up over 191,000 refuseniks from the roughly 76 percent of districts that have reported their status.

About 1.1 million were expected to take the exam.

Pressed for a reaction to the boycott, which is fueled by allegations that Common Core is rigid and age-inappropriate, and that the tests are excessive, Governor Andrew Cuomo chose to split the difference in characteristic style, by minimizing both the importance of the schooling standards to which his state government (like most) has committed, as well as belittling objections to the same.

"My position was, the department of education had not done a good job in introducing the Common Core, and they had rushed it, so we said, for a period of five years, the test scores won't count," Cuomo told reporters. "So they can opt out if they want to, but on the other hand, if the child takes the test as practice, then the score doesn't count anyway."

"The grades are meaningless to the student," he added, not exactly shoring up the argument for committing time and effort to filling in ovals on a sheet of paper.

Former U.S. senator from New York, and current presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton went a step further last week, referring to education as a "non-family enterprise."

So… Maybe parents and students have no business raising a fuss, in her view.

The Rattler is a weekly newsletter from J.D. Tuccille. If you care about government overreach and tangible threats to everyday liberty, this is for you.

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NEXT: David Harsanyi on Hillary Clinton's Awkward Class War Rhetoric

J.D. Tuccille is a contributing editor at Reason.

PolicyCommon CorePublic schoolsBoycotts
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  1. Fist of Etiquette   10 years ago

    Uh-oh. That wall is going to missing too many bricks.

    1. DesigNate   10 years ago

      It's not a load bearing wall anyways.

    2. paranoid android   10 years ago

      Uh-oh. That wall is going to missing too many bricks.

      I see that someone didn't need no education.

      1. Hamster of Doom   10 years ago

        Disagree! That looks absolutely par for an American education.

      2. Fist of Etiquette   10 years ago

        I was never a be student.

    3. Pan Zagloba   10 years ago

      And I bet they are going to want pudding straight away.

    4. aleck.bolafka   10 years ago

      I make up to $90 an hour working from my home. My story is that I quit working at Walmart to work online and with a little effort I easily bring in around $40h to $86h? Someone was good to me by sharing this link with me, so now i am hoping i could help someone else out there by sharing this link... Try it, you won't regret it!......
      http://www.work-cash.com

  2. OfficialGovtSpokesperson   10 years ago

    When Cuomo said they're meaningless, was he referring to the students, or the test?

    1. Heedless   10 years ago

      The words that were at that's moment coming out of his mouth.

    2. UnCivilServant   10 years ago

      The Students, Teachers and Tests, because none of them are him or his idea. The man is a malignant narcissist, never forget that.

  3. Jesus H. Christ   10 years ago

    Tell the parents that spend so many evenings around the table helping their kids with homework that it's a "non-family enterprise."

    Honestly, she simply can't hide what a distasteful person she is anymore.

    1. Hamster of Doom   10 years ago

      No, no, no. You misunderstand. "Non-family enterprise" means you have kids on a lease-back arrangement with the government. The hours and expense are contractually owed to the government. It's their kid, after all.

    2. Rich   10 years ago

      she simply can't hide what a distasteful person she is anymore.

      This. And the hand gesturing and head-bobbing just compounds it.

      1. Rich   10 years ago

        *compound*

        Props to paranoid android.

  4. Mickey Rat   10 years ago

    From the facebook postings of teachers in my family are objections that teachers will be evaluated on their student test scores. They do not think it is a fair standard to hold them accountable by.

    1. MarkLastname   10 years ago

      Probably because they're lousy teachers. People who don't want to be evaluated on performance are usually the ones who are bad at their jobs.

      I honestly hate that we're expected to treat students like saints, just because they managed to finish the easiest major in college and land a job at a school. I've had more bad teachers than good ones and learned most of what I know in the library, not the classroom. To me, public schoolteachers belong in the same class as soldiers and police officers: in general, both overpaid and over-appreciated.

  5. Hamster of Doom   10 years ago

    They do not think it is a fair standard to hold them accountable by

    There. All better.

  6. PRX   10 years ago

    look at her, pretending to be a human.

    1. BakedPenguin   10 years ago

      ...and she's so bad at it.

    2. Rich   10 years ago

      It would be interesting to see a transcript of a "conversation" between her and Nancy Pelosi. There would probably be one actual sentence in the whole thing.

  7. OldMexican   10 years ago

    Over 80,000 students have refused to take this week's Math exam, with just 22.5 percent of the state's school districts reporting

    Not to fret, it will be but a tittle in history once the State squelches this peasant revolt and brings peace to the shire.

  8. Joec578   10 years ago

    This destroys Hillary's argument.

    My family moved from New York to New Jersey in 1991 (I was about two months shy of my 13th birthday at the time of this move). Throughout my time in a New York State school district we were required to take the California Achievement Tests (CATs) every year. Even states like New York, which do have a very long tradition of standardized testing are rebelling against Common Core.

    It also shows

  9. adolphowisner   10 years ago

    My best friend's mother-in-law makes $85 /hour on the internet . She has been out of work for 5 months but last month her pay was $16453 just working on the internet for a few hours.
    Visit this website ?????????? http://www.jobsfish.com

  10. MarkLastname   10 years ago

    I bet Hillary could talk for hours without actually saying a thing.

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