Beto O’Rourke wants to end the STAAR tests. Here’s why he can’t.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks at a rally in Austin on Sept. 6, 2022. O’Rourke has said he wants to end the state’s annual standardized tests. Federal law wouldn’t allow that. (Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune)

Beto O’Rourke’s vows to cancel the STAAR test are untenable since state and federal law preclude him from eliminating the standardized testing program on his own.

In appeals to students, teachers and education activists, O’Rourke — the Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate — has repeatedly promised to do away with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness if he’s elected governor in November. O’Rourke considers the standardized tests a waste of valuable teaching time and a drain on state education funds, a claim that many education advocates have made for years.