DATE:XX/XX/20XX
TO: XXX School District
RE: Jane / John Doe
To whom it may concern:
This letter is to serve notice that, as of today’s date, my above named child/children, who are students in the XXX School District, will not be taking part in the PARCC testing for the school year(s) 20XX-XX. As their parent/guardian, I am refusing their participation in this standardized testing. Jane/Johnis currently in the Xthgrade at XXX School. In addition, please allow this letter to serve as notice that my child/children will not take part in any surveys given in the classroom. I request that they are to bring any such surveys home for my review before completing or turning them in to class/school. I thank you for your cooperation.
Supreme Court Decisions and Parental Rights
Parental rights, especially in the area of education, are broadly protected by United States Supreme Court decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
In Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 535 (1925), the U.S. Supreme Court declared that, “The child is not the mere creature of the State: those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”
In recognition of both the right and responsibility of parents to control their children’s education, the U.S. Supreme Court has further stated, “It is cardinal with us that the custody, care, and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the State can neither supply nor hinder.” Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158, 166 (1944);
The U.S. Supreme Court has also recognized that the right of parents to raise their children free from unreasonable state interferences is one of the unwritten liberties protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and criticized a state legislature for trying to interfere “with the power of parents to control the education of their own.” Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390, 401 (1923).
Additionally, participating in these tests 1) negatively affects my child social-emotional well-being; 2) stifles his/her curiosity and love for learning; 3) places developmentally inappropriate and undue and unhealthy stress on him/her; 4) reduces his/her capacity for attaining new knowledge; 5) replaces his/her higher order thinking with “drill and kill” curriculum; 6) diminishes opportunities for socialization; and 7) diverts funding that could go to fund programs in my child’s school to testing companies and publishing companies.
I will provide my child with appropriate reading material that they may read quietly, or complete homework if it is permitted, during testing time.
Please confirm with me directly that you have received this letter and that this request will be honored. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via mail or email.
Sincerely,
Parent/Address/Phone/Email