SACRAMENTO — The California Teachers Association applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ongoing leadership and commitment, and hearing educators’ call to suspend statewide standardized testing this year for California’s students. CTA President E. Toby Boyd issued this statement on behalf of 310,000 teachers and the students they teach:

“We appreciate Gov. Newsom’s leadership and quick action in suspending all statewide mandated testing for this school year. On any given day, and under the best circumstances, test scores alone fail to tell us how a child is doing and where they need improvement. That would be even more certain for students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath. Test scores would mean nothing but a source of stress for our kids. Anxiety and emotions are rampant among us and we need to take this time to focus on the needs of our students, their health and safety, and ensuring they have nutritious meals.”

CTA is providing multiple resources for educators, students and families at www.cta.org/covid-19. CTA urges educators, students and their families to follow the guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health and believes state and local officials should coordinate with school districts and county offices of education to ensure uniform messages are provided to students, families, and staff.

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.