Public Comments

There are existing issues with the Special Education camera law that this was copied from. Legislation will be presented to change that law very soon and I would urge that this not be passed as it is currently written.

I am writing to express my strong opposition and grave concern regarding any proposal to eliminate standardized testing in West Virginia’s public schools. While conversations about assessment reform are valid and necessary, removing standardized testing entirely would have devastating financial and educational consequences for our state.

Federal law, specifically the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires states to administer annual assessments in reading, math, and science as a condition of receiving federal education funding. If West Virginia were to eliminate these tests, we would immediately forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that support critical programs for students, including Title I services for low-income schools, special education supports, teacher development, and afterschool programs.

These funds are not optional or easily replaced. West Virginia’s state budget simply cannot absorb such a financial loss without catastrophic impacts on classrooms, staffing, and student services. The result would be larger class sizes, fewer resources, and diminished opportunities, especially for our most vulnerable students who rely most on federally supported programs.

While there is room for improvement in how assessments are designed and used, completely eliminating standardized testing is neither practical nor responsible. Instead, our focus should be on using assessment data more effectively in order to identify gaps, improve instruction, and ensure accountability while continuing to advocate for fairer, more meaningful ways to measure student learning.

I urge lawmakers to reject any proposal that jeopardizes our state’s compliance with federal education requirements. The long-term cost to our students and schools far outweighs any short-term political gain. West Virginia cannot afford to lose this essential funding or the educational safeguards that come with it.