The NY State Education Department has proposed regulations that would punish schools with high opt out rates by giving them poor evaluations, and that could force these schools to use Title I funds to persuade parents to make their children take the state exams.  These regs would also allow the Commissioner to unilaterally close any school with high opt out rates and/or convert it to a charter school. Please send a message to NYSED today, urging them to delete these provisions of the regulations! The deadline for comment is Aug. 17. Feel free to change the message any way you like, and/or add personal details.