Teachers union endorses testing opt-out movement
The Houston Federation of Teachers has endorsed parents' right to opt their children out of standardized exams, joining a national movement against high-stakes testing.
The union, in a resolution released Monday, called the Houston Independent School District "ground zero for the over reliance on and inappropriate use of standardized tests." The nation's seventh-largest district uses students' exam results to evaluate teachers and to decide who receives performance pay. The bonus program, however, may come to an end in early 2017 amid a looming budget shortfall.
Texas law does not recognize opting out as an option for students. The Texas Education Code states, "A parent is not entitled to remove the parent's child from a class or other school activity to avoid a test or to prevent the child from taking a subject for an entire semester."
Several dozen parents in the Houston area opted their children out of state testing last year, according to advocates.
The Houston teachers' union, which has about 6,100 members, said in the resolution that it recognizes the right of parents to opt their children out of "high-stakes testing, test prep and test related activities."
In addition, the union vowed to "directly support" parents who keep their children from testing if union members at the school sanction the movement. Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said the union wants to be sure school staff and communities are on board given the potential consequences. For example, if too many students stay home, it could affect a teacher's job evaluation, particularly if the children are high-performing.
Union officials may support parents by helping them organize, Capo said, perhaps lobbying lawmakers to pass a bill allowing for an opt-out option.
The Houston school board passed a policy in late 2015 that made clear the district did not endorse opting out, but said students who do not take the tests "will not be subject to negative consequences or disciplinary action."
Texas public school students must pass state exams to graduate from high school, though lawmakers recently allowed for Teachers union endorses testing opt-out movement - Houston Chronicle: