(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - The Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) is calling on the Buffalo Board of Education, the New York State Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Regents to ensure its destructive and hurtful directives aimed at parents and students (in regards to opting out) cease immediately.

BTF President Phil Rumore issued the following statement:

The Buffalo School Board, Commissioner of Education and Board of Regents must take immediate action to ensure that the degrading, destructive and hurtful actions/directives against opt-out students and parents are ended prior to the next 3-8 State Standardized Test in May 2018.

I ask how you would feel if you put yourself in the position of a third grade (or Grades 4 through 8) student who is being told that he/she cannot attend a school trip, go to an ice cream social, have a ticket for a mountain bike raffle or is being pressured by the principal to take a test that your parents, in your best interest, don’t want you taking (the 3-8 State Tests).

It is obvious, since these tests provide no timely information that can be used by Teachers to help their students, that administrators are not taking these degrading, destructive and hurtful actions in the interest of students’ education but rather to make themselves look good by having a high percentage of students take these tests and therefore fewer students being opted-out.

We understand that similar actions are occurring in other schools districts.

If the School Board, Commissioner and Board of Regents don’t act to prevent these actions (directives), in my opinion, they are condoning child abuse.