TEXAS, USA — In this third year of pandemic schooling, students, teachers and parents are struggling.
Carol Pope, owner of Sylvan Learning Center in Tyler, says many students don’t feel the same way about school now that they did two years ago.
"We've seen a lot of frustrated kids, kids that used to have a drive in education, and they've lost that drive,” Pope said.
She says students who were performing above grade level before the pandemic are now at grade level. Those who were at grade level are now below and those who were below are really struggling to stay afloat.
Across the state, parents who object to standardized testing are considering "opting their kids out" by either keeping their kids home from school that day, or allowing their kid to sit out while testing is happening.
The Texas Association of School Boards says parents cannot opt out their children from standardized tests or any other test for that matter.
It cites the Texas Education Code section 26.010 stating:
"A parent is entitled to remove the parent’s child temporarily from a class or other school activity that conflicts with the parent's religious or moral beliefs if the parent presents or delivers to the teacher of the parent’s child a written statement authorizing the removal of the child from the class or other school activity. A parent is not entitled to remove the parent’s child from a class or other school activity to avoid a test."
If a student doesn’t take a standardized test, their test booklet will still be turned in and they will be given a zero score. Skipping tests could factor into the student's ability to be promoted to the next grade level and the student could be subject to truancy prevention measures.
Third grade parent Vontrice Overshown wasn’t planning to opt her child out, But the looming test is still making her sweat.
“It's been rough on the kids, and it's so much pressure on the STAAR testing," Overshown said. "I’m extremely nervous. She's nervous too. I just try to give a pep talk and we're just trying to find a lot of different ways to get her caught up and make sure that she's prepared for the test."