During the regular session it looked like the legislature might eliminate the State Assessment of Academic Readiness. But negotiations broke down as the session ended and nothing happened.
Gov. Abbott placed eliminating STAAR on the current special session agenda. With only two weeks left in the 30-day special session, the odds weren’t looking good.
Then, yesterday, Democratic legislators left the state to break quorum over the redistricting vote set for Monday. For all intents and purposes, this session’s likely dead.
Two Bills Filed, But No Movement
Only two bills had been filed related to the STAAR.
Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R – Odessa) filed H.B. 92 to eliminate STAAR, but it hasn’t been referred to committee and no action on this bill was reported. The Concho Observer reached out to Landgraf’s office to discuss the bill, but we received no response.
The second STAAR bill, filed by Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint), calls for the creation of a Texas Commission on Assessment and Accountability to study and make recommendations for improvements to the current system. It was not referred to committee, and no action has been taken.
In the Back Room
The Texas Tribune reported last week that backroom negotiations to eliminate or change STAAR or taking place between House and Senate leadership, According to the Tribune, Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), one of the chief negotiators on STAAR Test in the regular session, said the House and Senate will be filing identical bills similar to the Senate version passed in the regular session.
During the regular session, both chambers agreed to swap the end of year STAAR exams for three shorter tests to be given at the beginning, middle and end of the year.
They hung up on delegating the power to set standards for school ratings to the Texas Education Commissioner, or to retain that power in the legislature. They also differed on how to deal with school districts that sued the state over the ratings system, and whether the mandatory test should include a social-studies component.
Redistricting Saves STAAR Test
When the news broke yesterday that the Democrats chloroformed the special session as the redistricting bill was to be taken up Monday, all chances of passing anything else died with it. The question now remains as to when, not if, Governor Abbott calls a second special session on redistricting.
When he does will he still include elimination of the STAAR Test again? This is something many in the state want to see happen. But it seems unlikely until President Trump gets his redistricting plan adopted. Not only has Congress delegated all its independence and authority to the President, so has the once Great State of Texas.
