In Arizona: Effort to Reduce Red Tape for Teachers Succeeds with Lawmakers
State schools chief Tom Horne says the newly passed state budget includes a change that he has long sought: the elimination of the Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) program, which many educators consider an unnecessary bureaucratic requirement and a waste of classroom time.
“Over time, the KEA had ballooned into an endless morass of paperwork that meant teachers had to spend too much time on bureaucratic requirements versus time with students,” Horne said. “Now the legislature has taken the welcome step of entirely removing the legal requirement for the KEA, which frees up more time for teachers to spend on classroom instruction.”
There is a positive reaction from educators in the field.
“Superintendent Horne reviewed our feedback on the KEA in our Kindergarten classes. The KEA duplicated many of our current practices and took away valuable instructional time,” Dysart Unified School District Superintendent John Croteau said. “This decision prioritizes student interests by focusing on maximizing valuable classroom time to enhance student learning opportunities.”
“Superintendent Horne and his department sought feedback directly from kindergarten teachers and families about the time, student privacy, and resources lost to KEA and we appreciate the swift and effective action taken to eliminate this program in the best interests of Arizona kids,” Challenger Charter School CEO Wendy Miller said.
Tags: early childhood education, State issues
