Today's Newsletter: What to do with the Opt Out Movement?

I have been wrestling with how Tech&Learning should cover the Opt-Out Movement . The burgeoning debate makes lots of noise considering the small number of reported opt-outers: The Dallas News calls it a trickle. 260 parents in Long Island, NY, according to the Levittown Tribune; the Washington Post lists a nationwide organization’s membership in the thousands. The reasons for opting out are multiple and yet still murky: Some complain that it a poor form of assessment. Some claim the testing has ruined the profession of teaching. Others tie the problem into bigger picture issues with opposition to the Common Core and the perceived corporatization of public education. Can anyone point me to examples where schools use these testing techniques to compliment more authentic assessment and teachers are not threatened? —Kevin Hogan, Editorial Director