Oklahoma Superintendent Joy Hofmeister Wants State-Wide Testing Suspended

Thursday State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced her plan to ask for statewide testing to be suspended.

Schools across the state of Oklahoma are not returning to class until next month because of COVID-19 concerns. Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association said they believe this is the right move to keep kids safe.

“Obviously we didn’t become educators if academics and learning weren’t important to us. That goes without saying. Testing those kinds of tests those don’t matter to me so much when it comes to my kids. If I’m your teacher and you’re my kid, I know you," said TCTA Vice President Shawna Mott-Wright.

Mott-Wright said she hopes the U.S. Department of Education approved Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister's request to call of state mandates testing this spring, but if that request is denied, Mott-Wright said teachers should be allowed to administer the test.

“Every teacher can test their children the way that they know how because no one knows that child in an academic setting like their teacher does," said Mott-Wright.

She said the state has never been in this position before so educators are working to see how this could impact students long term. 

“As far as academics like I said with college and high school credits there is just going to have to be forgiveness because none of us have ever deal with something like this before," said Mott-Wright.

If all goes well, most districts plan to head back to school April 6th. Mott-Wright said teachers are hopeful that will happen so they can finish the final nine weeks of the school year with their students.