Hundreds of Students Protest Common Core Tests

Hundreds of high school students in New Mexico walked out of school Monday on the day they were scheduled to begin taking the standardized tests that are aligned with the Common Core standards.

Twitchy observed the following tweets on Monday:

Students say Mayfield High is a "No #PARCC'ing zone." #PARCCWALKOUT #LCNM #LASCRUCES pic.twitter.com/QSBiFw12ZI

— Damien Willis (@damienwillis) March 2, 2015

.@AP PHOTO gallery of #ABQ student walkout in #NM #PARCCWALKOUT #walkouts15 http://t.co/zg5EelkLYN pic.twitter.com/akEzHnBqlR

— Russell Contreras (@RussContreras) March 2, 2015

Parents protesting outside LCPS admin building yelling, "More teaching, less testing!" #PARCCWalkout @abc7breaking pic.twitter.com/SG0JnQGIaU

— Josie Ortegón (@JosieOrtegon) March 2, 2015

New Mexico students join others from across the nation whose parents are opting them out of the federally funded Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments linked to standards that have been imposed on American students, parents and teachers. The Common Core standards came about as a result of both the intrusion of the federal government in education – an area that is reserved for the states and localities – and the unwillingness of state legislatures and chief executives to refuse federal funding that comes with strings attached.

As the Associated Press reports, parents in Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York have already opted their children out of the assessments, while, in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott (R) suspended the testing for 11^th graders this spring.

In Pennsylvania, 1,064 students opted out of the PARCC math tests last year, a fivefold increase from the number opted out in 2011.

Despite warnings from school officials about disciplinary action, several hundred students at Albuquerque High School walked out of the exams, and more students at Highland High School also protested by walking out as testing began.

Protests began last week in Santa Fe and then continued in Carlsbad on Friday, reports AP. On Monday students from schools in Las Cruces joined the protest movement, carrying signs that read, “More teaching, less testing,” and “Out the door with Common Core.”