Update: Testing Opt-Out Effort Falls Flat In Chicago

You'd think that Chicago would be a prime place for a parent opt-out protect against standardized testing, given the amount of success that the teachers union has had convincing the media and parents that what teachers want and what parents want are the same thing.

But that didn't seem to be the case when the opt out press conference held on Monday revealed that only about 500 kids would be exempted from standardized testing that begins next week:

Hundreds of CPS students refuse to take annual test: parents’ group Sun Times; Parent groups push ISAT boycott in CPS CLTV; Parent groups push ISAT boycott in CPS Tribune

Testing requirements vary somewhat across Chicago because the district allows regions and schools to make some of their own decisions regarding assessments.  A recent report from TeachPlus found that Chicago has one of the lower testing burdens on paper and in teachers' experiences in the classroom. The union and several other groups pushed to recruit parents for the effort for several weeks ahead of the event.