Brooke Wardle posted this hilarious and awesome exchange on Facebook and gave permission for me to share it. Syd is Brooke’s child. Dr. Gary Thompson is the other one mentioned below, a friend 
of Brooke’s and well know to readers of this site.
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So this just happened…
Syd: Dad, my teacher is insisting I take MAP testing as an alternative to Sage since I opted out.
Me: No you don’t.
Syd: She is insisting.
Me: Tell her to call me.
Syd: I did. She said it would not matter.
Me: Hold one sec. (calls Gary Thompson) Gary, can you run by Syd’s school for me. I have you on my emergency contact list to check Syd out. They’re trying to force her to MAP test.
Gary: No problem. I’m actually only about a minute away.
Me to Syd: Syd, Gary is going to check you out.
Syd: OK
Gary walks into school to check Syd out. Principal walks out.
Gary: I’m here to check Sydney out of school or make sure she makes it to the library to work on homework while the other students do their Sage testing.
Principal: We are required to give her an alternative test.
Gary: No, actually you’re not.
Principal: It is a Utah School Board requirement.
Gary: (holds up his phone) Michelle, what is the board’s policy on this?
Michelle: She is under no obligation to take it and the school should honor the parents wishes.
Principal: Who is that??
Gary: Michelle Boulter from the State Board of Education.
Principal: Oh……
Gary: So, is she coming with me or going to the library?
Principal: She is going to the library.
Gary leaves the building
Calls Michelle back
Gary: So, what did you think?
Michelle: What was the name of that school? I need to add them to my audit list………
Boom
Parents 1 Sage testing 0
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Need info on opting out of SAGE? Go to our opt-out page which links to the state form and laws.
Awesome! Thanks for staying on top of this!! Hopefully we will win this war soon .
What do you get when you combine a public monopoly with government bureaucracy? Ans: Public Ed. Thank you for carrying on the fight.
LOL.
This made me laugh. I have to deal with this all the time at my school. They also think they *have to* give us an alternative test if we opt out.
Thank you for helping us. =)
Priceless! Thanks for a good laugh this morning. Can we all have Gary on our emergency contact lists?
Please don’t get me in trouble with Gary for advertising he is on my contact list… lol!!
Gary said to post it so I hope we’re safe. :)
you’re fine Oak.. If Gary gets a million requests to be on their kids emergency contact list I may not every hear the end of it… But im ok with that.. lol!!
I know I’m asking!
The funniest part of this for me, was of all the people on the planet for the Principal to push back at, it was Dr. Gary Thompson…. big mistake. Ha!
Wow! What a great story! That is what can happen when you have responsible, accountable, elected officials on your state school board. Here in California they are all appointed and are all pawns of the governor and the state superintendent.
I love this story!!! This makes me realize I need to know more about the alternative testing-we’ve had many issues this year with schools here pushing it! Another week though and we’ll be done with public school and I’ll never miss the ways we’re bullied into conforming.