RE: Exemptions to STAR and other standardized testing

In response to Kelly's questions and issues.

STAR was passed during Pete Wilson days, but was re-authorized since during Gray Davis tenure. In both cases overwhelmingly in both houses. So it does not seem that there was any need of "pushing" against the legislature.

You should realize that the state has a strong interest in objective assessment of its educational system - after all it spends billions of dolars on it. But the state also recognizes that particular parents may feel uncomfortable with testing their children, so the state provides for parental exemptions.

But your proposal that the state should give "equal time" to such exemptions seems to me wrong. The state's interest is in having the assessment reflect the system the best it can. Why would the state try to undermine the effectiveness of a system it considers (rightly in my opinion, but that's beside the point) important? It is not an issues of "fairness" - the fairness is already embodied in the fact you have the right to demand the exemption.

To put it in other words, had there been a military draft in the country, would you expect the US to give the same "air time" to the fact one needs to enlist, as to the fact that one can try and get an exemption on pacifistic grounds?

Regarding your own three children, I hope that you at least do your own "sanity check" as to the academic level of their achievement in class. I can appreciate your dislike of objective assessment, but you would not want to discover in seventh grade that your child is really reading at third grade level, or can't efficiently multiply, divide, or manipulate fractions - typically it would be too late by then to correct it.