In addition to 'school choice', there is also a push happening in Austin to overhaul the STAAR test in the state of Texas. State representative Brad Buckley has introduced the new legislation.
"House Bill 4, basically gets rid of the STAAR test" Buckley said, "It repeals it and replaces it with an exam that works better for teachers, and students and parents."
The STAAR test has been under the microscope for years, and there are a lot of people who would like it to go away.
"it's time to repeal the STAAR, make it something that's better for teachers and students and parents" Buckley told KTRH, "And I think we can get it done. I think this bill goes a long way towards doing that."
The idea is to have a group of smaller tests, rather than one all or nothing big test. A test that teachers can just focus on specifically, instead of overall learning.
"What we want to do is get away from one test, one day" noted Buckley, "Right now we have a system that's built around a lot of anxiety for students and parents and teachers. But this is a deliberate effort to unwind that, and to kill the STAAR test."
HB 4 would instruct the (TEA) Texas Education Agency to modify the test.
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