With New York State third-through eighth-grade English testing commencing this week and Math exams kicking off next Monday, much has been debated to the validity to the Common Core standards that Nassau County parents have begun to hold students out of the exams, or “opting out.”

In the Mineola School District, the discussion has ranged from coursework to alleged test prep, which school officials argue the latter is not taking place. Mineola has been at the forefront of the debate, holding forums in November and December of 2013.

According to School Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler’s blog, Nagler’s Notions, students of parents who sent in a refusal letter concerning the state exams will report to the library on exam day in grades 3-8 school buildings. Furthermore, “the test will be presented to them and they can refuse. There is no intent to intimidate or make children feel uncomfortable.”

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Nagler said once the exams are collected, students will work independently until the testing period is over. He said parents who support the opt-out movement but rather not have children to  refuse the exam may bring their child to school after the exam. The students would be marked late and a refusal will be noted on the exam.

“We will not attempt to administer a make up,” he said. “There has been a lot of pressure from various groups and social media and tension has been running high. Let’s remember that this movement is not waged against the district.  It is a ‘fight’ between the Governor/state legislature and NYSUT.

“We do not agree with the over emphasis on yearly summative exams,” Nagler continued. “The board and I have been very vocal about this. Mineola has not abdicated local control; in fact we have worked diligently to provide parents with alternate assessment of their children, including the creation of electronic portfolios of student work.  We have not test-prepped children; we believe good teaching will yield good results. We have added science, music and language immersion programs. No teacher in Mineola has been harmed by the current APPR plan and we will work to insure that no teacher will – what ever the new regulations bring. We will continue to respect the choices parent make and seek to please everyone’s position, albeit that may not be possible.”