House Democrats hosted a press conference to call for fully funding schools and cancelling the STAAR test. This comes after it was mandated that students take the STAAR test in person. A video of the presser can be found here.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
- Rep. M Gonzales – Calling on the Governor and TEA to extend Hold Harmless to ensure schools are fully funded at pre-pandemic levels throughout the year
- Rep. M Gonzales – Calling for the cancelation of this years’ STAAR test, which we recently found out must be taken in person this Spring
- Rep. Bucy – Public schools should not be losing funding because we are in the middle of the pandemic; TEA’s Hold Harmless provision has expired, but schools stand to lose millions if it is not extended
- Rep. Bucy – Governor has authority to allow TEA to extend Hold Harmless, should he choose to not do that, House Democrats are committed to fully funding public schools during budget conversations
- Rep. Bucy – Will continue putting pressure on TEA to ensure they know how important this is
- Rep. Allen – Last week TEA announced they would require students to take the STAAR in person
- Rep. Allen – Cannot overburden our schools to figure out the logistics of taking a test during a life-threatening pandemic
- Rep. Allen – Cannot ask our teachers, students, families and school personnel to put their lives at risk for an “unnecessary” test
- Rep. Allen – Know that not all students have gotten an equal education during the pandemic; is irresponsible to waste millions on a test that has already been proven as not a good representation of how schools are performing
- Rep. Allen – Calling for the cancelation of the STAAR test this Spring
Questions & Answers
Q: Concerned about the thousands of students who have been “lost” since the pandemic? Any mechanisms/incentives to catch those kids if we hold ISDs harmless?
- Rep. Allen – We are concerned, and that is why we are asking them to not test those students
- Rep. Allen – Every home would be possibly bringing COVID-19 into the classroom
- Rep. M Gonzales – Agrees; just because we hold schools harmless, does not mean we are not concerned
Q: If Texas waives the STAAR how will the state meet federal testing requirements? Heard anything from the Biden administration about this?
- Rep. Bucy – Need the Governor and TEA need to follow the suit of the rest of the states to request a waiver from the federal government
- Rep. Hernandez – Are in a worse position than before when the first waiver was granted
Q: Why is it required in person?
- Rep. Allen – Does not know the rationale; maybe they are thinking there could be some tampering with the test
- Rep. Allen – Would like to know that rationale since teachers and students have not been prioritized for the vaccine
- Rep. Hernandez – We have seen large scale examples of testing, like the BAR
Q: When do you expect teachers to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
- Rep. Goodwin – Hopefully soon, CDC has added teachers to phase 1B, but the state has not
- Rep. Goodwin – With increased numbers of vaccine, that should happen soon
Q: Commissioner Morath says they need to take the STAAR to evaluate the amount of learning loss?
- Rep. Allen – Would like a diagnostic test; what they have not learned is majority not their fault due to broadband disparities, lack of teacher preparedness, etc.
- Rep. Allen – Children do not need to bear the brunt of the burden
- Rep. Bucy – Agree, if we require testing, then it should be like a diagnostic test
- Rep. Bucy – Best alternative is to trust teachers right now and cancel the test; need to support our frontline
- Rep. M Gonzalez – Test has not told us a lot about achievement even before the pandemic; has been added trauma and already know that 4 million kids have had learning losses
Q: Feeling from other members, Republican members, how public education will be treated?
- Rep. Goodwin – A Republican member has already filed legislation that would cancel the STAAR
- Rep. M Gonzales – Public education has been a bipartisan effort
Q: What about the TELPAS and ELL tests administered during the pandemic or English learner performance during the pandemic?
- Rep. M Gonzales – Have noticed a lot of kids are using technology that is only in English; has been a significant language learners’ gap