So it’s opt out time for STAAR.  We’ve already told you that the school is not going to “agree” that you can opt out.  Now that doesn’t mean you can’t opt out.  In fact, some schools play the game of pretending that refusing to participate (your option) is not opting out.  It is.  They don’t […]

Facebook has decided to block a direct link to this document for reasons only their algorithm know.  So I am placing it in this article for your use and review.  This confirms again that the TEA does not require schools to put the assessment in front of your kid.  It does not require that they […]

We recently received the below letter from Lake Dallas Middle School telling parents that due to scores on district and state practice assessments, their kids had been deemed in danger of not passing STAAR (Oh the horror!) and were required to attend after school tutorials under threat of detention, ISS or possibly other punitive measures.  […]

This is a big one folks!  To be clear: it doesn’t change the law or  TEA positions.  This is simply an almost word for word regurgitation of what the TEA has been permitting for three years now.  It does not break new ground.  It communicates existing guidance and options.  But it is a BIG ONE! […]

Well toss the old HB 4545 letters away!  As we have been discussing, the Texas legislature did a big revamp on HB 4545 accelerated instruction with the HB 1416 amendments.  The most important change was to grant a broader and more explicit opt out right to parents.  After HB 4545, the TEA recognized an opt […]

During this time of the year, we hear so many terrible stories of teachers and administrators lying to parents and harassing them and sometimes their kids over their opt out decisions.  It’s the worst at the high school level, where the “you can’t graduate without STAAR” lie is yielded like a hammer. (Read here to […]

HOUSE BILLS AS OF 1/15/2023 The following bills have been filed to date in the Texas House of Representatives. Our position is always subject to change as bills progress and legislative analysis or hearings take place.  If you are aware of any other accountability or assessment bills, please contact us at txedrights@gmail.com HB 748, 1225 […]

From the earliest days of the Opt Out movement, the TEA has carved out a dichotomy between Opt Out and parental refusal that has confounded and frustrated parents and, indirectly, led to increased conflict between parents and schools.  However, as time has passed, the TEA’s outlook has become increasingly more realistic and focused on de-escalating […]

In a YouTube video released today, Peaster ISD superintendent Lance Johnson called out the hypocrisy of Gov. Abbott’s political theatre ploy of announcing his fealty to the so called “parents’ rights” movement that is gaining political currency amongst the Republican electorate. After focusing on the school shutdown and mask mandates that came from the Abbott […]

This PDF contains the questions and answers from our weekly “Basic Questions” thread on the TxEdRights Facebook Page. WO 02-01 Questions