Washington has denied waiving spring tests due to covid-19.

Patrick Kelly of the Palmetto State Education Association called it a “Friday evening news dump, typically a sure sign of a government agency trying to bury a news report.”

The state can lose federal funding if less than 95% of students take the tests, Kelly said.

“This year, that requirement will not be enforced.”

SC Education Superintendent Molly Spearman’s waiver request was authorized by state law.

6 members of the SC Congressional delegation signed a letter of support.

A SC Department of Education survey found that 93% of more than 36,000 respondents favored reducing the testing burden on students due to remote learning problems.

Kelly said, “there is no escaping the fact that the US Department of Education has failed to listen to those that best know what is needed for South Carolina’s students.”

The largest SC association for professional educators has strongly supported Spearman.

Association officials said they are “deeply disappointed by this misguided decision by the federal government.”

Kelly said, “Over the past 12 months, every student in the state has experienced lost instructional time as well as ongoing stress and instability in their daily lives.

“We should be doing everything possible to increase instructional time and decrease student stress for the remainder of the school year.

“However, our schools will now have to do exactly the opposite to administer these spring assessments, even though we know a standardized test taken in atypical times will not provide meaningful comparisons to results from prior tests.

“We are being forced to give the wrong tests at the wrong time and ignore what is best for students.”

He said a small minority will claim this is a victory for the students.

“This position is well intentioned but misguided. As every educator knows, the spring tests will be high stakes, high stress and highly disruptive.”

For questions or comments, please contact Executive Director Kathy Maness at kmaness@palmettoteachers.org or by phone at (803) 256-2065.

You may also contact Patrick Kelly, Director of Governmental Affairs, at pkelly@palmettoteachers.org or by cell at (803) 917-9612.