Teachers across the state of Texas are asking to have the STAAR exam postponed.



The 2020/2021 school year is a much different academic season than any in the past. The pandemic has put parents, kids, teachers, and schools staff in a much different position from day one.

Many parents chose to keep their children home and opted for the virtual game plan instead of the face-to-face classroom option. The virtual schooling has been a disaster for kids, parents and teachers alike. You can read more about that HERE.

With the issues we've faced since the 2020/2021 school session started, teachers across Texas are asking state officials to postpone the STAAR testing held every spring.

So what is the STAAR test exactly? According to The Texas Education Agency, the STAAR test stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and is a standardized exam given to students from 3rd grade through 12th grade to test their knowledge in core subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, to name a few.

Results of the STAAR test help determine if a child has learned enough to pass his or her grade. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly had an impact on the learning process and with that in mind, more and more teachers want to postpone the STAAR test or even skip it entirely.

FOX 44 News reports that Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa has filed a petition against the STAAR testing saying, “Our governor should join other governors across the country, and requests of Betsy DeVos, that we get a waiver from having to take the STAAR test this academic year,” adding "our families are under really unprecedented pressures right now because of the pandemic.”

The Texas Education Agency says it wants to keep the tests because it will show education officials how the students are doing during the pandemic and give students a better idea on how they are doing academically.

It's important to note that the TEA did remove the "usual grade promotion component" so kids should still be able to move on to the next grade no matter what they score on the test.

Rep. Hinojosa says there are better ways to see how kids are progressing,

“There are other tools, other types of assessments not like a standardized test that teachers use to assess, that teachers have those expertise. It’s not real-time information that teachers use to fill the gaps for their students.”

The Association of Texas Professional Educators agrees with Rep. Hinojosa.

What do you think? Should the STAAR exam be postponed or even cancelled? What's been your experience with virtual learning during this challenging school year?

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

In Pictures: What Education Looks Like Around the World During a Pandemic

More From KSSM-FM