CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — At the Antonio E. Garcia Arts & Education Center, students from Rose Shaw Elementary aren’t just learning — they’re playing, exploring and reading.
“Can everybody say spaghetti? Spaghetti!” one student shouted during a group activity, the room erupting in laughter and participation.
To educator and advocate Dr. Nancy Vera, it’s exactly what school should look like.
“We’re making it fun. We’re making it interesting,” Vera said. “With standardized tests, they may only read one line. With this, they’re reading books, novels... How beautiful is that?”
Vera supports House Bill 4, a proposal in the Texas Legislature that would replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter online-only exams administered throughout the year.
“When I spoke to educators who were part of the pilot program, they told me it was like night and day compared to STAAR testing,” said Rep. Denise Villalobos.
Educators like Ginny Moore, a teacher at Rose Shaw Elementary, agree.
“We want to get back to the basics — kids learning and having fun,” Moore said. “Not just focusing so much on testing.”
But not everyone supports the bill. A major concern is the elimination of social studies testing for students in grades three through eight.
Critics argue removing the assessments could lead to less emphasis on the subject in schools. On social media, one parent, Kimberlee Dee, voiced her concern: “Okay, but social studies matters… it teaches us how the world works.”
In schools with limited time and resources, some worry that if a subject isn’t tested, it might not be taught at all.
Back at the Garcia Center, however, Vera believes the change could inspire more organic engagement.
“If we don’t have history standardized tests, we’ll have history in the making with our kids,” she said. “They’ll want to engage more and it will be fun and not boring”
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