Opting Out of State Tests

With New York state’s standardized English and math tests coming up, the Teachers Association of Sag Harbor is hoping to reach parents who have questions about how to opt out of the tests.

In a letter posted on Facebook on Tuesday via the group South Fork Alliance for Common Sense Education, the union announced it has planned a forum for parents to learn about the opt out movement. A documentary called “Standardized” will be screened. The event is planned for tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Whalers Church, which is at 44 Union Street in Sag Harbor.

“We want to give the community a chance to talk and open the discussion,” said Anthony Chase Mallia, a seventh-grade math teacher in Sag Harbor. “A lot of parents have questions about the implications of opting out, and have been asking a lot of the teachers.”

The state tests in English are scheduled over the course of three days next week, and the math tests are scheduled for three days the following week.