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With barely a month until public schools open their doors to nearly 1 million kindergarten-12th grade students across Washington state, changes are coming to public schools, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal told The Dori Monson Show on Tuesday.

Don鈥檛 expect mask or COVID vaccine mandates for students this fall 鈥� unless a local health authority requires one, Reykdal told Dori鈥檚 listeners.

And during extended verbal sparring with Dori, the schools’ superintendent elaborated on the possibility of 鈥渆xiting鈥� use of standardized testing for students, 鈥渙utcome fairness鈥� for all students, and placing 鈥渃ultural awareness at the center of everything鈥� schools do.

鈥淚t is a federal law and state law that we test. We will always test.鈥� Reykdal said after Dori questioned a TVW statement the superintendent made about 鈥渆xiting鈥� the Smarter Balanced Assessment used in schools. 鈥淚鈥檝e never said we鈥檙e getting rid of testing … My problem is the test we use.鈥�

Washington state began using the current in 2015. It tests all students in grades 4-8, and grade 10 in math and English/language arts. In 2020, the state dropped its requirement that high school students pass these exams and a science test to graduate. Instead, juniors and seniors were given the choice of passing the Smarter Balanced exam or successfully meeting one of 10 other 鈥済raduation pathways鈥� to earn a diploma.

鈥淏ut 50% of public-school students do not meet basic English testing standards,鈥� Dori cited from 2021 scores. 鈥�70% do not meet basic math testing standards.鈥�

Pushing back against Dori鈥檚 assertion that this is 鈥渇ailing,鈥� Reykdal said the test is 鈥渁n assessment whether they (students) took that content area with intensity at the time they took that test. A lot of kids missed a lot of instruction hours due to COVID.鈥�

Still undetermined? Now the state and local districts will interpret the 鈥渙utcome fairness鈥� wording in a new state law approved from Senate Bill 5044 for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

鈥淥utcome fairness? How is that a possibility?鈥� Dori wanted to know.

Reykdal said he expects school officials to manage this in a way that leads to 鈥渁ccess to opportunity鈥� for students. Eliminating fees for dual-credit high school/college programs, including Running Start, is one example, the superintendent said.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean kids will get the same grade when they end,鈥� Reykdal continued. 鈥淚t means `keep tearing down things that have that systemically kept some students from accessing opportunities.鈥欌��

What about Reykdal鈥檚 recent statement that 鈥渃ultural awareness will be at the center of everything鈥� the schools now do? Dori wondered. Does that mean white supremacy should be talked about in schools? he asked.

鈥淧eople have a very different definition of that phrase,” Reykdal responded. Addressing oppression for Blacks and others 鈥� teaching history of practices 鈥渋n place to keep other people down and give other people an advantage鈥� is a 鈥済enuine historical reality,鈥� the superintendent continued.

Would you also teach Asian supremacy? Dori followed. 鈥淢ore recently, Asians were interred during World War II, which was a horrible atrocity. And yet, as a group, they have achieved at the very highest level.

鈥淭here are a lot of white kids who have parents who are drug addicts and are abused … and Black kids whose parents are doctors and lawyers,鈥� Dori continued. 鈥淚 wish we would treat every kid as an individual. This grouping of people is a horrible way to be educating.鈥�

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon 鈥� 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.