Covington parents, community disappointed with mandatory TCAP testing

COVINGTON, Tenn. (WMC) - The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) has begun for statewide schools, and many parents in Covington are not looking forward to the mandatory tests for their children.

Covington was one of the areas hit the hardest by severe storms in late March. Community members said they are still recovering and cleaning up.

Two of the city’s schools, Crestview Elementary and Middle, received major damage to their properties, forcing students to resume classes elsewhere.

Many parents expressed they don’t feel it’s mentally healthy for their students to take mandatory tests following the tragedy their city’s seen.

“Give us time to get back on our feet,” expressed Chelsea Griffin, parent of a Crestview Middle student. “There’s a lot of children in our system that school is their safe haven. School is where they go for love and food, and they don’t have that.”

Governor Bill Lee’s administration issued the following statement regarding TCAP in Tipton County Schools:

“The administration has worked to support teachers and students impacted by the devastating tornadoes in West Tennessee by offering various waivers and flexibilities for Tipton County schools, including assessment window flexibility for grades 3-8, waiving the use of TCAP scores to determine a student’s grade, and ensuring that TCAP scores won’t impact teacher evaluations.”

Area-middle school parents received a letter from the school’s principal explaining TCAP will begin later than most Tennessee schools on April 26, but parents said the delayed start date is not enough.

“You need to give our kids time to adjust,” Griffin said. “I have to drive through this no matter what way I go to work. I have to drive through it on my way to work and on my way home and it’s like ripping a Band-Aid off every time.”

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