1) Good teachers know where their students are & make adjustments based on accurate data points & benchmark tools. Nonetheless, Districts haven't accurately represented student knowledge or broken down data by student population, etc. #rrisd1family
2) This has exacerbated the extreme disparity in student outcomes by race, income & disability. Historically districts have been unwilling to address these issues. This is often worse in high performing districts where it's easier to mask disparities with overall high performance
3) Racist attitudes of local governments, real estate markets, and capital expansion pressures often have an oversized impact on District decisions; @RoundRockISD is certainly no exception. USDE approved the TEA's ESSA state plan in 2018 and the reporting requirements changed.
4) Districts choose to penalize campuses/teachers and "teach to the test" even though data shows that schools that forego this method of instruction on average have higher performance on STAAR. This practice is not mandated or supported by data.
5) Principal/teacher turnover is highest at T1 schools, which further exacerbates the problem. Bold teaching/innovation can't flourish in a "teach to the test" environment. T1 schls are constantly in flux b/c Districts take a short game approach instead of learning & improving
6) District attitudes and poor leadership cause intense and unnecessary test-stress for teachers who inadvertently pass that anxiety on to parents and students. Often this anxiety is politically weaponized to support certain school board candidates, lobbying efforts, etc.
7) This fact remains: STAAR cannot be cancelled by the TEA without opting out of ESSA b/c USDE has not granted accountability waivers for '20/21. Opting out wld cut Texas school budgets by $5+ billion per year & eliminate FLP, T1 funding, ESL funding, addt'l FAPE for SPED & more. 
8) This is not unknown to district leaders. Their goal is often distraction, diversion, avoiding responsibility, & maintaining status quo. At a time when leaders shld be planning ways to keep teachers & kids safe in the Fall, they're focused on the STAAR test. Something is wrong.
9) It's fair to discuss whether ESSA requirements are serving their intended purpose, whether STAAR is useful beyond 3-8G, or even whether improvements to the STAAR are needed for accuracy. We don't have to agree on that as long as we're having honest conversations about it...
10) BUT the fact that district leaders are inciting STAAR anxiety during #COVID peak when they've released NO INFO abt Fall is misguided & frightening. @RoundRockISD seems to be waiting for state guidance to start planning, which will be minimal due to size & diversity of Texas.
11) Teachers & parents should not be distracted by STAAR requirements right now. We deserve a voice in the planning process. School starts in 47 days & we have yet to be consulted in any real way about what that will look like. If not now, then when? Time is running out./end
