Survey on Testing Waiver Available to the Public State leaders seek feedback on Every Student Succeeds Act waiver that would eliminate high-stakes testing for the 2020-2021 school year due to impacts of COVID-19 LINK TO WAIVER REQUEST MEDIA CONTACT: Meghan Frick, mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us, 404-416-2286 (please follow phone calls with a text message if possible) June 29, 2020 – The Georgia Department of Education announced today an online survey to get the public’s feedback on a waiver of the high-stakes testing requirement in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the 2020-2021 school year. ESSA requires that the public and any interested school districts have an opportunity to comment and provide input on all waiver requests. State School Superintendent Richard Woods and the Georgia Department of Education are urging anyone interested in the future of Georgia’s public education system to complete the survey. “For all those invested in Georgia’s education system – whether you’re a parent, a student, an educator, or a community member, I strongly encourage you to offer your feedback as we seek a waiver from high-stakes testing for the 2020-2021 school year,” Superintendent Woods said. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have urged common sense regarding compliance in Georgia’s public schools, and a focus before anything else on the health, safety, and well-being of students, families, and school staff. Given the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic and the resulting state budget reductions, it would be counterproductive to continue with high-stakes testing for the 2020-2021 school year. In anticipation of a return to in-person instruction this fall, we believe schools’ focus should be on remediation, growth, and the safety of students. Every dollar spent on high-stakes testing would be a dollar taken away from the classroom.” The online survey can be found at the following link through Friday, July 10 at 11:59 pm: http://gadoe.org/ESSASurvey