Here is what I have found out so far. From TEA - there are certain grades (3, 8 and 11) when a student MUST take and pass, and during those years make ups are required. Other grades are used as guideposts and while of course everyone would prefer that we are able to measure accurately, it should not be held against a child if they have an infectious disease, and so the state does not require make-up testing, that is left to the school district. There are provisions in place to determine whether a child must attend summer school or if a combination of their classroom grades, Stanford scores, and the extenuating circumstance surrounding the absence are considered. A committee is formed to make this determination, and the decision must be unanimous in order for the decision to stand. I am optimistic that this will be the case, but must wait for the committee to convene and a decision to be reached. The problem here was more that the left hand didn't know what the right was doing, or more to the point, no one could give me a definitive answer. I got everything from "retention" (remainingin the same grade) for not taking the test on the specific date with no make ups allowed, to summer school being mandatory. It took me no less than 30 hours of phone calls to the school, being passed around the district offices, and even the state to get an answer - and the answer is wait and see whether or not my child has to attend summer school. We're getting there and I'll keep you posted.

Hello from Houston. This may be a long winded one – so please bear with me.

TAKS are upon us – yee hah! My daughter stayed home from school yesterday and this morning still had a slight fever and sore throat, but begged me to go to school. The students were led to believe that they would be held back if they did not take these tests and she does not want to repeat 5th grade. (Nor should she, she’s never received anything lower than an 89 and is identified as gifted.) I dropped her off promising I would come get her at a moment’s notice, and cried all the way home thinking I was a terrible mother for letting her go to school at all. Surprise! At 10:00 a.m., following completion of the math test today, the nurse called to tell me that my daughter had to removed from the school as her fever was 101.4. Of course I picked her up from school, and ran into the principal while I was there. I asked him to please tell my daughter she would not flunk 5th grade because she is sick – he asked if she had taken that day’s test and she said she had. He then said that no, if she took the required tests she would not fail. Testing continues Wednesday and Thursday this week.

After settling my daughter at home, medicating her, and managing to schedule a doctor’s appointment for the afternoon, I got on the phone to the district offices. After being passed here and there I was told by the “testing” office that each school has an overview committee who can determine whether or not a child needs to be “retained” if they have not taken the TAKS exams. I felt relieved knowing that my daughter’s record would stand on its own and she would go to middle school in the fall! Hooray – right? Wrong! (The same person also told me that this is all State law, and not district policy.)

After visiting the doctor and learning that my daughter has not only an ear infection but contagious Strep Throat, I went to the school to turn in the note from the doctor informing that she could not return to school for 2-3 days. Again I ran into the principal, and apologized to him know that I had been informed that this was not his decision or the district’s but the state’s – and told him I felt much better knowing that the committee would review my daughter’s credentials – I had no worries. He said that in fact the committee would in all likelihood advance her after she completed summer school. He said that summer school is a requirement of any student who does not complete the TAKS testing! WHAT????????

Again I filled prescription, returned home, settled my daughter and got back on the phone to the district offices. As it was after 4:00 I got serious runaround and those who I actually spoke to live indicated that in fact it is the case that summer school is required of those who do not complete the TAKS unless there is special dispensation from the superintendent of the regional district, and that no – of course that person nor her superior is available to talk with you and no, I am not able to reach her/him today – it’s after 4:30. Since then I have written to my state representative as well as each representative who sits on the public education committee – having all those letters faxed already. I swear my next step is to contact the media if I do not have this resolved tomorrow and NO – I am not sending my daughter to school with strep and an ear infection – though believe you me it was suggested by more than one person at the district level that a couple of hours in school wouldn’t hurt anything and she then wouldn’t have to worry about summer school!

Is there anyone else out there from Texas/Houston who has had a similar experience and can offer me any guidance of working through the system? Absolutely every single bit of help will be greatly appreciated. Email – Txngal67@aolo.com.