As Lewiston parents and teachers we are deeply concerned about the upcoming MEA/Smarter Balanced Assessments and their implications for education in our community.

Our concerns are deep and far-reaching.

We are concerned for our children, whom we know will be required to forgo many hours of time spent learning to complete a test that is of unknown validity.

We are concerned for our teachers, whom we know work tirelessly for our children and yet whose performance will be judged by a potentially inaccurate picture of what their students have learned in their classrooms.

And we are concerned for our schools, which we are proud of and know are places where abundant learning happens each day, and yet are likely to be judged unfairly by the results of these tests for reasons that are beyond the control of our teachers and administrators.

For this reason, we urge all parents to exercise their right to opt their children out of the upcoming tests. Parents can simply request an opt-out form from their child’s principal.

Yes, we know that there is risk involved in this move, including the possible (though highly uncertain) loss of some Title I funding if a large number of families choose to opt their children out.

We believe strongly, however, that this risk is far outweighed by the far greater repercussions of remaining silent and complacent in the face of policies that we know in our hearts are wrong for our children.

Karen McClure-Richard, Lewiston

Co-administrator for Opt Out Lewiston

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