Parents and students gathered for a socially-distanced rally against state standardized testing, known as the CMAS, reports CBS4.
The event took place on Sunday afternoon (February 28) at Manual High School. The rally was to voice Denver parents' and students' concerns about taking a standardized state test after a chaotic year of schooling. They want to be able to opt-out of this year's test.
CBS4 also reports that students would be required to come to school for the test regardless if they are learning remotely or in-person.
Denver Public Schools says it will be up to each school to decide what to do if students opt-out of the test.
“We recognize we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and it’s outrageous that our leaders at the state level and leaders at the federal level have still not figured out that this is definitely not the time to be testing our children,” Danielle Walker told CBS4. “Our daughter is still at home stressed out from being online from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. everyday, doing mundane work, and they have the audacity to think we will support our kids going into the schools just to be tested?”
Last Friday, February 26, was the last day for families wanting to opt-out of the CMAS.
According to CBS4, the test was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the federal government says the test cannot be canceled another year.
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