A Georgia elected official is proposing that the state suspend the school system ratings, as well as report cards for the 2020-2021 school year.
State Representative Regina Lewis-Ward said her proposed legislation seeks to relieve pressure on educators and academic administrators as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Lewis-Ward (D-McDonough) said, “School districts across Georgia are facing unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic and shouldn’t be evaluated against standards established in previous years.”
“A temporary suspension will provide an opportunity for education leaders to implement the policies and practices needed to recover from the adverse impact of the pandemic. During this suspension, our schools and administrators can gain accurate insight on how our schools are performing.”
Rep. Lewis-Ward said her proposal to temporarily suspend systems ratings, report cards, and standardized testing could help schools reevaluate their current educational standards.
She noted the suspension would not “absolve Georgia’s education leaders of the responsibility of finding solutions to help students meet established educational standards in the near future.”
Similar legislative measures have been considered or implemented in state legislatures across the country, including Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas, as well as Mississippi.
Rep. Lewis-Ward said the proposed legislation will be formally introduced in the coming weeks of the 2021 legislative session.
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