Stop Common Core in Michigan Applauds the Michigan PTA for Their Stand Against M-STEP

By Deborah DeBacker, co-founder of Stop Common Core in Michigan.

Setting the Record Straight on Refusal Rights

The Michigan PTA recently adopted the Clarkston PTA Council’s resolution calling on the State Legislature and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to cease the administration of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) assessment scheduled to begin on Monday, April 13.

Although Stop Common Core in Michigan disagrees with MPTA’s support of Common Core, we do believe that test validity has not been proven. We agree that local school districts should be able to choose their own test, not be mandated to use the SBAC test, which is a federally funded test with a federal review team’s approval. The Michigan Department of Education has admitted that the M-STEP is the SBAC renamed. We should keep politics out of testing.

With M-STEP testing about to begin next week, Stop Common Core in Michigan wants to set the record straight on a parent’s right to refuse to allow their child to take the M-STEP. We have several articles on our website StopCommonCoreMichigan.com, supporting that right.

School district threats of harm to schools by the federal government based on parents refusing the test have not been happening in other states. New York has experienced massive refusals, but has not felt repercussions. Read more in this Washington Post article.

“There is no state or federal law requiring Michigan students take the MSTEP nor is there a recorded punishment to a district for students opting out” said Deborah DeBacker, co-founder of Stop Common Core in Michigan.