Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday endorsed a bipartisan bill to streamline state-mandated tests while insisting that Colorado is “not slowing down or going back” on education reforms.
The Democratic governor said at a Capitol news conference that Colorado needs statewide assessments with higher standards while making sure kids and teachers are not overburdened.
Hickenlooper also urged against parents and students opting out of the tests, saying those who do “are not doing the kids any favors.”
Senate Bill 215, scheduled to be discussed Thursday before the GOP-controlled Senate Education Committee, would eliminate state assessments for high school juniors and seniors and reduce testing in kindergarten through third grade.
“We want to make sure we don’t let the politics of the moment undermine the long-term best interests of our children — or undermine more than a decade’s worth of hard work to create these education reforms,” Hickenlooper said.
