“Opting Ian out of these state tests will help Ian become a healthier, more confident student–I am certain of that. If I allowed Ian to follow the same path of so many children before him, children who learned differently but were told they didn’t measure up to the state’s expectations of them, I’m afraid the beautiful light in his eyes will fade until he becomes one of my sad juniors who cannot engage with their education anymore, or one of my repeating seniors who will eventually drop out of school because school did not meet their needs. Ian will not become another dismal statistic–not on my watch.”
http://paulinehawkins.com/2014/03/09/opting-out-why-ian-will-never-take-state-tests/