​“For many years I have expressed deep concerns with the number and weight of high-stakes tests in Georgia, and getting state testing requirements in line with the federal minimum was one of the Georgia Department of Education's top legislative priorities for 2020.

Today, I am so pleased that our top legislative priority became a reality with the passage of SB 367. It is a great day for Georgia's students, teachers, and parents, because this legislation decreases the number of high-stakes, high-pressure tests that will be required of students during the school year. We are more in line now with the federal minimum testing requirements, which means there will be more time for students to learn and teachers to teach. 

As a former teacher, and as someone who has spoken with hundreds of Georgia's classroom teachers over the last five years, I believe so strongly that our students and teachers are worth more than the results of one test, taken on one day, during one school year. This legislation is a response to the persistent and urgent concerns raised by classroom teachers, students, and parents, who have been sounding the alarm about the negative impacts of excessive high-stakes testing for years. We are saying, loud and clear, that it's the teacher, not the test, that makes a difference.

I thank Governor Brian Kemp, Chairman P.K. Martin, and Chairman Rick Jasperse for acting upon the concerns raised by students, parents, and teachers. Their tireless efforts to get this bill passed into law will have such a positive impact on the learning environment."​