Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) has signed on as a sponsor of Assembly Bill 6025, better known as the Common Core Parental Refusal Act. The legislation ensures parents are made aware of their right to opt their children out of the high-stakes testing, and protects teachers, children and schools from any punitive state action associated with opting out of the tests.

“Parents are receiving mixed messages regarding their right to have their child opt out of the controversial high-stakes testing associated with Common Core,” Friend said. “What our bill does is ensure that parents are made well aware of their right to refuse the testing, which has been a point of contention between the Legislature, the State Education Department and the governor’s office. Under the Common Core Parental Refusal Act, teachers, parents and school districts will be safe from any potential punitive action taken against them for refusing the testing. If we can’t get the governor to reject Common Core, the people will reject it.”

The Common Core Parental Refusal Act has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Education for a vote. For information on how to currently opt out of the high-stakes testing, visit http://www.childrenbeforepolitics.com/refuse. The Children Before Politics site also houses the Assembly Minority petition to repeal the current teacher evaluation system that stole power from the Legislature and gave it to the State Education Department (http://www.childrenbeforepolitics.com/thepetition), and the APPLE Plan, which is a series of education reform measures that eliminate the Common Core curriculum, can be found in its entirety here: (http://www.childrenbeforepolitics.com/apple_plan).