NYC-Based Grassroots Organizations:
1) NYC OPT OUT
https://www.optoutnyc.com/
NYC Opt Out is a group of parents that works to resist standardized testing in NYC. Their main mission is organizing annual boycotts of state tests to draw political attention to parent concerns and soon replace standardized tests with more accurate assessments of students and teachers. They are a volunteer-driven organization with no large sponsors.
2) Change the Stakes
https://changethestakes.wordpress.com/
https://changethestakes.wordpress.com
Change the Stakes is a group of New York City parents and teachers who are opposed to current standardized testing practices. They are working towards the use of more holistic and accurate assessments of achievement in New York City’s public schools.
3) NYS Allies for Public Education
https://twitter.com/nysape
NYS Allies for Public Education is made up of parents, teachers and community members from all over New York State (including NYC) who oppose “excessive testing and inappropriate sharing of private student data without parent consent.” They oppose standardized tests on the grounds that they support reforms that have not be proven effective by research nor are wanted by the people most concerned about students- teachers and parents.
4) Jackson Heights People for Public Schools
http://www.jhschools.org/
Jackson Heights People for Public Schools is a group that educates their community about Jackson Heights’ public schools and provides information and resources to parents and other active community members who want to improve them. In addition to advocating for opting out of standardized testing, they support better school funding, smaller class sizes, more arts and physical education, play based education, access to bilingual education, daily recess and racial and socioeconomic integration.
Other Grassroots Organizations:
1) The Badass Teachers Association
https://twitter.com/badassteachersa
The Badass Teachers Association was founded in the belief that teachers are unjustly blamed for society’s failings, such as poverty and inequality. They refuse to accept standardized tests that impede “real teaching and learning.”
2) Save Our Schools NJ
http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org/
http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org
Save Our Schools NJ was founded in 2010 in opposition to Governor Chris Christie’s educational policies. They advocate for ending the PARCC and other standardized tests, more school funding, charter school reform, more support of community schools, and for ending publicly funded vouchers.
3) Oregon Save Our Schools
http://www.oregonsaveourschools.org/
http://www.oregonsaveourschools.org
Oregon Save Our Schools is a grassroots organization run by parents, grandparents, teachers, students, and community members. They are working towards improving Oregon’s public schools through ending high-stakes testing, involving community input in public education policy, equitable and well-funded public schools and ending the involvement of corporations and top-down government mandates in public education. They are affiliated with the National Save Our Schools Movement and Parents Across America.
4) Long Island Opt Out
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout/about/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout
Long Island Opt Out is a subgroup of the larger New York Opt Out movement. It is a Twitter and Facebook based group that spreads information about why and how to opt out of standardized testing. Parents use this group to ask questions and share ideas about high-stakes testing, Common Core, and public education.