Day off to grade tests?

At our next PTA meeting parents are going to vote on whether a date in March should be a non-attendance day so that teachers can score NYS tests and assess areas that need to be worked on. My first thought was when would teachers otherwise do this and is this something new? What is different this year? I just don't feel inclined to vote yes and the kids have a day off.

Re: Day off to grade tests?

My school kinda does this. The teachers grade during the day and they hire subs to come in - so it is pretty much a loss of 2-3 instructional days, but students still come into school so we are eligible for state funding. (I teach at the HS level so I can not give too much insight into elementary or middle school testing).

I think this year is different because of the new APPR going to effect - teachers need to be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses so they can better prepare students the next year.