Lawmakers shot down a proposal to allow parents to keep their kids out of standardized tests. House Bill 1187 exempts students with a notarized request from their parents.
State Representative Dan Kaiser says the bill centers on parental rights.
"We’ve heard testimony that this does not affect their grades, them progressing through the educational process," Kaiser says. "So, I think in a free society, we need to allow for sometimes things we don’t necessarily agree with. Why would I not want my child to take this assessment? You know, I’m not too sure. But I think that needs to be open for parents whose ideology maybe doesn’t fit the same as this assessment may imply."
Opponents to the measure say allowing exemptions from the annual standardized test undermines the results.
One vote determined the majority in Monday’s committee; the Education panel killed House Bill 1187.