It’s that time of year again:  time to print out, sign, and deliver the opt out forms that allow your child to skip the tests that don’t bless their lives.

I’m grateful that the Utah State Board of Education has posted the forms in English and Spanish, here:  https://schools.utah.gov/assessment?mid=1104&tid=1

The test is called RISE instead of SAGE now, in Utah, but it’s common core/ Fed-Ed rebranding.

Why opt out?

The whole point of school is to teach children, not to judge or micromanage them; to bless, and not to stress.  The government-centered tests are stressful and waste time and money.  They don’t enrich children.  Teachers don’t even get to see them, and neither do parents. They only enrich testing companies.  That’s a business motive, not a child-centered motive.

Several years ago, I explained more in a “Ten Reasons to Opt Out” post.  That link is here.

Ten Reasons To…