Take Our Poll: Should We Administer STAAR Tests in 2021?

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Texas Senator, Jose Menendez says, no.

Senator Menendez disagrees with administering the STAAR test in 2021 so much so that he has filed SB260 in the Texas legislation quoted by Fox San Antonio, "Now we're gonna have a nine-month slide where people who have not been in the classroom have lost out tremendously on their education. In the past, we've used that ridiculous STAAR test to grade schools and to provide bonuses to teachers. It was unfair then and it's even more unfair now."

The STAAR test, which stands for State of Texas Academic Assessment Readiness was first introduced in Texas in 2011.

Senator Menedez has been very vocal about his opposition of STAAR and was featured in a 2019 Texas Monthly opinion article which Mendez writes, " We have seen school districts scrambling to figure out what to do to maintain an adequate level of instruction while trying to meet state standards and pass the STAAR test." He further adds, " The STAAR test is hurting our kids. We need to act now."

Last year in July 2020 Gov. Greg Abbott waived the STAAR test and its results for academic promotion due to the COVID pandemic, leaving many educators and parents to ask why we're moving forward to administering the test this year.

You can read Gov. Abbott's waiver here.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath rejects canceling the exams altogether offering another opinion on the matter by arguing that the STAAR exams are a "useful way to determine how much learning students have LOST during the pandemic," the Texas Tribune reports.

This does offer pause for thought.

What do you think? Should Texas administer the STAAR test in 2021?