GOP Candidates Join Testing Opt-out Movement

Republican presidential hopefuls in the Senate have joined the fast-growing movement encouraging students to opt out of the standardized tests that have become a part of everyday life in American schools.

The emphasis on testing has only been been ratcheted up in the era of Common Core, the education standards backed by Jeb Bush but vilified by most other Republicans. The new national political interest in testing could give even more momentum to the calls from thousands of parents and state lawmakers for students to skip the tests, despite threats from the federal government to cut off federal dollars if too few kids show up on exam day.


In a twist, the issue is putting conservatives on the same side of the issue as teachers unions and parents and even some Democrats, all of whom have called for cutting back on testing and the consequences that can result from the scores.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) concentrated on opt-out issues last week during their chamber’s debate on No Child Left Behind, rejecting the standardized tests mandated by the George W. Bush-era law. Cruz, Paul and others offered amendments designed to ensure the government keeps its hands off of students’ opt-out rights.

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