For years, Texas students have faced hours-long standardized tests that don’t reflect how they actually learn. The STAAR exam can last up to seven hours and is often used not just to assess student learning, but to grade entire schools and districts — putting enormous pressure on children, families, and teachers.

Now, lawmakers have another chance to fix it. A new proposal would replace STAAR with three shorter tests spread throughout the school year. It wouldn’t eliminate testing, but it could reduce the stress, restore instructional time, and offer a more accurate picture of student growth. It’s a step forward — but the bill is stuck in limbo while political fights over redistricting stall everything else.

Students shouldn't suffer because lawmakers can't agree.

Parents, teachers, and even students have spoken out about the damage this testing culture causes. Some kids dread going to school on test days. Teachers say they have to “teach to the test,” narrowing curriculum and losing valuable learning time. At schools where many students speak English as a second or third language, low STAAR scores have led to threats of state takeovers — not because students aren’t learning, but because the test doesn’t reflect their reality.

We’re calling on Texas lawmakers — from both chambers — to move this bill forward and pass a replacement for STAAR that reflects what families and educators have been demanding for years. That includes shorter, fairer assessments, safeguards for high-need schools, and limits on how testing data is used to punish campuses.

Texas kids deserve better than a test that defines their future in a single sitting. Let’s finally get this right.

Add your name to support a better path forward for our students — one that values learning over pressure, and progress over politics.