By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — After calls from the community to take a stand against the state’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) test, the East Brunswick Board of Education passed a resolution in opposition to using the test as a requirement for graduation.
“This is absolutely a victory, and we are very deeply appreciative that the Board of Education (BOE) listened to the concerns of a growing number of parents in the district, gave it thoughtful consideration and took action today to pass a resolution like 11 other districts have done around the state,” said Deborah Cornavaca, a district parent who at past board meetings had spoken out against the PARCC test.
The board passed the resolution at its May 12 meeting, becoming one in more than 10 school districts throughout the state to denounce a proposal by the Department of Education to make the PARCC test a requirement to graduate from high school.
“The board thought very long, hard and thoughtfully on what the community had requested, and they believe this resolution represents a position that the board is comfortable with and meets the needs of all the parents who expressed concern about the PARCC possibly becoming a graduation requirement,” Superintendent Victor Valeski said after the meeting. “I think it was a compromise between the community and the BOE.”
The resolution was passed unanimously with three board members, Holly Howard, Meredith Shaw and Laurie Lachs, absent for the vote.
The resolution comes almost a month after more than 20 parents attended the board’s April 14 meeting requesting that they pass such a resolution and send a clear message to parents that taking the PARCC test is voluntary.
The next day, the board released a statement addressing a mistake in a prior communique from the district stating that PARCC was a requirement for graduation.
“After last night’s meeting, during a review of our communication, we discovered that a document titled ‘Graduation Requirements’ from the high school incorrectly stated PARCC was required. That document was immediately corrected. I apologize for the error,” Valeski had said in a press release last month.
For some parents, they see this move as hopefully the beginning of more school districts throughout the state voicing a similar opposition to the state’s plans for PARCC.
“It is a victory locally here in East Brunswick, and I could not be happier. I really do hope that East Brunswick’s ability to do this tonight will encourage more districts. We are the 12th district in the state to pass this resolution, and I hope it encourages more to do so,” parent Jodi Hoover said.
Contact Michael Nunes at mnunes@gmnews.com.
