Forms & Resources

Beginning in 2030, the TEKS will include mandatory readings of Bible stories and passages as part of the Reading/Language Arts curriculum.  Many parents have expressed concern over this and a desire to opt out of such instruction.  However, this is not just a distant event.  The Bluebonnet curriculum which many districts have adopted voluntarily includes bible-based content.  With the pending TEKS implementation, we can expect a further voluntary expansion of Bible related instruction.

This letter notifies the school that the parent is opting out of any religious based instruction.  Notice should be given to the classroom teacher for Language Arts and the campus principal.

This is a new form letter to be used after you’ve been back and forth with the school using the master opt out letter and potentially the follow up refusal letter.  By this time you’ve likely received a form letter or email from the school saying things like that can’t “exempt” your child (we didn’t ask) or that all students present must be given the opportunity (how lucky!) to be assessed.

This letter points them to the TEA position that a school can accept a parental refusal and does not have to put the assessment in front of the child.  This letter requests that they work together and acknowledges what the TEA requires the school to do (document your refusal, submit the blank assessment for scoring).

If you are unable to access the download from the button, try this direct link.  DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK.  Share only this download page.

NOTE: Depending on your device, you may need MS Word or an MS Word reader to download this file. We will never ask you to pay for or install any software to download.  If that happens, either you selected the  wrong button or you need to install an MS Word compatible reader on your device.

This letter is updated to include reference to the TEA FAQ which recognizes that schools can grant opt out notices.

HEY GUYS – HB 4545 OPT OUT IS NOT A THING ANYMORE.  GO HERE!!!  HB 1416 Opt Out of AI

This is the current version of our TPERN opt out letter.  It has been updated to include the refusal language the TEA require that the local campus document. If you have a download issue, click here for the direct link.  Please do not share the direct link!

Updated 4/10/23  – Sometimes the schools will respond to your opt out notice by telling you that they can’t exempt you or grant permission to opt out.  You respond by telling them that you were not asking their permission and you expect them not to interfere with your parental decisions.  The letter also references the TEA information that schools can accept parental refusals.

If you experience download issues, please use this link.  (DO NOT SHARE THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK)

If you have had an Opt Out denied and your child has been removed from or denied access to electives, athletics, recess or other physical activities, use this letter to advise the school to restore all electives.  PLEASE NOTE: all our forms require you to customize them to your situation.  Custom areas are in [brackets] and are usually self-explanatory.

If you are unable to download using the Download Manager, you may use this direct link.  PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THE DIRECT LINK.

This letter opts your child out of HB 4545 accelerated instruction for the upcoming school year.  It should be delivered to the school before the staff reports back for the fall (although there is no deadline).  I recommend you wait until all summer instruction has ended, so their full attention is on the fall.

If for some reason the download does not work, use this direct link, but please DO NOT SHARE THE DIRECT LINK.

This short letter is all you need to advise the school that your child will not be participating in HB 4545 summer school.

We will provide an additional letter for the fall. Use this letter only for the summer school notices.

Note: if you are unable to download from this page, use this link.  DO NOT SHARE THE LINK.

This letter requests that on the make up day for STAAR, your child be permitted to refuse in the office and return to class rather than have to enter a testing room and stay for four hours.  This may be made obsolete by the move to online administration.  However, just last year with COVID, we heard of the TEA permitting schools to submit score sheets for scoring based on nothing more than a notice of intent to refuse from the parent.  This new approach is discussed in our Article: TEA Confirms: School Can Accept Parental Refusal of STAAR  Letter is pending revision on this point but should still work.

Often, the schools respond and decline your opt out notice based on the theory that Tex. Educ. Code sec. 26.010 does not permit a parent to opt out “to avoid a test.” This letter responds to that legal argument.

Some schools continue to place students into full period STAAR prep classes if they have not passed their assessments, or appear close to passing or mastering STAAR.  It’s all about the scores, because the schools rip kids out of electives to do this.  This letter demands removal of your child from full period STAAR prep.

Beginning in February 2022, the TEA has volunteered Texas students to act as free labor for the testing contractors to create a new generation of STAAR assessments.  To do this they will be “field testing” various forms of the assessment on Texas students.  And contrary to law, they will not let parents see the assessment instruments.

Use this letter to Opt Out of STAAR field testing.  Unlike the Spring administrations, where the schools read the opt out provision differently than we do, there is no colorable legal basis to deny field test opt outs.

This letter replaced the Do Not Score Letter.  The TEA for many years has required the S code to be used with refused assessments.  This letter asks them to remove the scores generated by the blank assessment document and replace it with a notification of non-participation.  When they refuse, the letter provides them a parental statement which FERPA requires them to place in the student records.

Tips for Use of This Form:

1. It must be sent to both the TEA and the local school.

2. It should not be sent until you receive a score report.  DO NOT SEND THIS WITH YOUR OPT OUT LETTER.  Until you have scores, there is nothing to correct.

3.  A separate letter should be send for each assessment.

4. You can go back and use this for previous assessments.

If you have problems with the download  link, use this direct download, but please do not share it! FERPA Corrective Statement Letter

This letter is updated to include reference to the TEA FAQ which recognizes that schools can grant opt out notices.

HEY GUYS – HB 4545 OPT OUT IS NOT A THING ANYMORE.  GO HERE!!!  HB 1416 Opt Out of AI

If you have had an Opt Out denied and your child has been removed from or denied access to electives, athletics, recess or other physical activities, use this letter to advise the school to restore all electives.  PLEASE NOTE: all our forms require you to customize them to your situation.  Custom areas are in [brackets] and are usually self-explanatory.

If you are unable to download using the Download Manager, you may use this direct link.  PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THE DIRECT LINK.

This letter opts your child out of HB 4545 accelerated instruction for the upcoming school year.  It should be delivered to the school before the staff reports back for the fall (although there is no deadline).  I recommend you wait until all summer instruction has ended, so their full attention is on the fall.

If for some reason the download does not work, use this direct link, but please DO NOT SHARE THE DIRECT LINK.

This short letter is all you need to advise the school that your child will not be participating in HB 4545 summer school.

We will provide an additional letter for the fall. Use this letter only for the summer school notices.

Note: if you are unable to download from this page, use this link.  DO NOT SHARE THE LINK.

Some schools continue to place students into full period STAAR prep classes if they have not passed their assessments, or appear close to passing or mastering STAAR.  It’s all about the scores, because the schools rip kids out of electives to do this.  This letter demands removal of your child from full period STAAR prep.