TUSD board approves MOU with teachers union to make third‑quarter benchmark optional after widespread public pushback

Tucson Unified School District’s governing board voted Feb. 11 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the teachers’ union (TEA) that makes the district’s third‑quarter i‑Ready diagnostic optional and directs district staff to work with educators on a short‑ and long‑term plan to right‑size assessments.

The vote came after more than a dozen public speakers urged the board to reduce what they called “excessive testing” that they say narrows classroom instruction and raises anxiety among students. The MOU, which district and union leaders presented to the board, also specifies that the i‑Ready assessment schedule (traditionally given in September, January and April) will treat the spring administration as optional for K–2 under the agreement and sets up working groups to evaluate frequency, length and design of district assessments.

Why it matters: Teachers, parents and students who addressed the board described frequent district and classroom assessments as harming learning time and student well‑being while providing little actionable benefit. Board approval signals a concrete change to TUSD practice for this school year and commits the district to convene curriculum and instruction staff, teachers and union representatives to pursue broader changes.

Public pressure and board action

The board heard sustained public comment about testing during the meeting’s call to the audience: second‑grader Valentina Burris Butner told the board, “I am here to talk about reducing the amount of tests in the school district,” and classroom teachers argued that repeated benchmarks and weekly formatives reduce time for hands‑on learning and widen inequities for “cusp” students—those barely below proficiency thresholds who often get repeated, narrow interventions. Multiple speakers said they had signed or circulated a petition; presenters told the board that “nearly a thousand” educators, parents and students had signed in support of making the third‑quarter benchmark optional.

Several classroom teachers described the effect on instruction and student well‑being. Becky Grassick, a math teacher at Catalina High School, told the board the “excessive amount of testing we’re doing in TUSD is inequitable, ineffective and unfair,” and urged the district to make the Third Quarter benchmark optional and let teachers design assessments.

The district and union respond

Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo and district staff acknowledged the dual pressures: state Accountability rules, including the A‑through‑F school letter grade system, require assessments that help measure proficiency and growth, but they also said the district could and should reduce the assessment burden where practical. Maricela Mesa, the district’s director of employee relations, described the MOU to the board and said the i‑Ready diagnostic is administered three times a year (September, January and April), that the first two administrations had already been completed for this school year, and that the agreement would make the spring administration optional for K–2.

TEA leadership framed the MOU as a public, collaborative step. The union’s president (identified in meeting materials as “Mr. Berne, president of TEA”) said the MOU represents a joint commitment to continue working together on frequency, length and instructional utility of district tests. Both district and union leaders told the board they plan to convene working groups—with curriculum and instruction staff, classroom teachers and site teams—to recommend alternatives and refine assessment design.

Board discussion and vote

Board members praised the public turnout and acknowledged the need for further work. Dr. Shaw (Governing Board member) said the MOU is a “first visible step” toward dialing back assessments and described possible changes such as shorter tests and focused working groups. The board moved and seconded the item on the floor and approved the MOU by voice vote. The board directed staff to return with more detailed proposals and to have Curriculum & Instruction present an assessment action plan in the coming weeks.

What the MOU does and next steps

- Makes the district’s third‑quarter i‑Ready diagnostic optional for participating sites; the MOU text specifically notes the spring administration will be optional for K–2 this year. - Authorizes the director of employee relations to execute the agreement on behalf of the district. - Commits the district and TEA to a working‑group process (curriculum and instruction, site teams, teacher representatives) to evaluate frequency, length, and use of district assessments, and to recommend alternatives that preserve accountability but reduce unnecessary testing burden.

District staff said they will bring a formal action plan from Curriculum & Instruction that details proposed assessment frequency and timing, shorter testing windows and any changes that affect state reporting or intervention scheduling. The board asked staff to return with cost and operational implications and encouraged broad teacher participation in the working groups.

Voices from the meeting (selected)

- “I am here to talk about reducing the amount of tests in the school district,” said Valentina Burris Butner, a second‑grade student at Davis Bilingual Magnet School, during the public comment period. - “The excessive amount of testing we’re doing in TUSD is inequitable, ineffective and unfair,” said Becky Grassick, a Catalina High School math teacher. - “We do need to tone the assessments down,” Superintendent Trujillo told the board while emphasizing the district’s obligation under state accountability rules.

Ending and follow‑up

The MOU takes effect immediately for this school year’s administration schedule and authorizes the director of employee relations to sign on the district’s behalf. District staff said they will post the working‑group membership and meeting schedule and will return to the board with a recommended assessment plan as Curriculum & Instruction completes its review. The MOU and the board’s vote do not eliminate state testing requirements; rather, they create a district‑level pathway to reduce the district’s internal testing frequency while preserving accountability reporting.

Votes at a glance

- Memorandum of understanding between Tucson Unified School District and TEA making the third‑quarter i‑Ready diagnostic optional (spring administration optional for K–2); authorization for the director of employee relations to execute the agreement — approved by voice vote (motion carried).