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ventilation, they say, are crucial until a vaccine is available.
Normally, this would be the lead item. But these aren’t normal times… To the chagrin of a growing chorus of state legislators, parents, and educators, Texas students will still have to take the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness tests next year—but Governor Abbott says 5th and 8th grade students will be able to advance to the next grade, even if they fail the state assessment. The governor also said that Texas school districts and campuses would continue to receive A—F grades, based largely on students’ test scores, “albeit with certain adjustments due to COVID-19.” The governor’s statement did not elaborate on what those adjustments would be. Texas high school students must also pass a five specific STAAR exams in order to graduate. Abbott’s statement did not mention waivers for those students. Governor Abbott suspended the 2020 STAAR testing regime in March, as Texas classrooms closed amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Education Commissioner Morath has lamented the fact that the state has lost its most important academic benchmarks for the 2019-2020 school year. Other states are seeking permission from the US Department of Education to waive similar exams, something advocacy group Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment have asked of the Texas Education Agency. “To judge a student in the middle of a pandemic just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do,” said Heather Sheffield, TAMSA president. “We should really be focusing on students’ health and their well-being right now rather than an A—F grade,” Sheffield said. Among the legislators who are calling for a full STAAR
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time-out next year is State Representative Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, who is in a tough race for re-election. “Continuing the pause in testing will allow our public schools, administrators, and teachers to continue focusing on the health, safety, wellness and learning of our students,” Representative Meyer wrote to Morath. Meyer, who serves on the House Public Education Committee, says that his office has been inundated with calls from constituents who are concerned about the added stresses the tests would place on their children during the pandemic. A pair of researchers at the University of Texas College of Education also believe that the state should reconsider its decision to restart standardized testing in the upcoming school year, and instead, should use the pause to develop a more innovative and cost-effective testing system. “As educational researchers and former school administrators, we recognize the inherent value of testing and maintaining a system of accountability,” wrote David DeMatthews and Lebon Daniel James III in the Austin American-Statesman. “If used appropriately, standardized testing data can help the state support and improve struggling districts and schools. Yet, the current testing and accountability system in Texas is costly and inefficient, and it has not led to narrowing achievement gaps.”
How to irritate an educator… Particularly galling for many Texas educators has been the state’s “Do as I say, not as I do” behavior. As state officials push to compel teachers back to the classroom, the offices of the Texas Education Agency remain all-but-closed—with most staff working from home to protect their own health. “Well, if it’s safe enough for students to come back, isn’t it safe enough for you to go back to work? And if the answer is, ‘No,’ then they need to reevaluate how they’re treating their students,” said Mario Piña, an eighth grade Austin teacher. “Student and teacher safety is Number One.” Those sentiments prompted this widely circulated post on Facebook and other social media platforms:
