Today, Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) joined his legislative colleagues and concerned students, parents, teachers, and administrators at a press conference touting new legislation that would require school districts to notify parents of their right to refuse to have their children take high-stakes, standardized tests.

The legislation also would provide protections for school districts by prohibiting the state from levying penalties, such as aid reductions, against institutions that allow or encourage high rates of refusal. Likewise, the bill protects teachers from poor evaluations due to student nonparticipation and requires that students are afforded alternate scholastic activities if their parents choose for them to skip the exams.

“The Common Core and standardized testing are zapping the creativity from the educational experience. Our classrooms are becoming testing factories,” said Palmesano. “Our children should not be stressed by hectic standardized testing regimens that are, quite simply, not proven to effectively measure how our children think, learn, and solve problems.”

Last week, Palmesano attended an education rally at Corning-Painted Post Middle School where nearly 700 parents, educators, students and community members came out to express their widespread concerns and criticisms regarding the governor’s education agenda.

“For the governor to double-down on Common Core and make standardized testing an even larger component of the teacher evaluation process shows that he has not been listening to parents and education experts across the state,” said Palmesano.

“As the governor continues to run roughshod over this process, I will continue to promote solutions that treat parents as partners, teachers as professionals, and students as dynamic individuals whose self worth and bright futures cannot be painted with just a number two pencil,” concluded Palmesano.