Local resident urges board to cut standardized testing, remove SEL, CRT and Common Core math

Harry Rocha, speaking as a District 3 resident from Alcoa during the public-comment period, urged the Blount County Board of Education to reduce the district’s emphasis on standardized testing and to remove certain curricular elements from classrooms.

Rocha said testing takes too much instructional time and said, "We need to remove the common core math because it creates confusion and is a stumbling block to, successful education experience." He also urged removal of social-emotional-learning curriculum (SEL) and "bridal race theory" as he termed it in the transcript (the speaker’s words), saying the district should refocus on reading, homework and traditional instruction.

Rocha expressed concerns about discipline and student use of electronic devices, arguing that lack of discipline inhibits learning: "If we are not disciplined our children at home and cannot discipline them at school, then they cannot learn because they are too busy doing other things like playing with their cell phones." He also said many students have poor English language skills and urged a return to more direct instructional time.

Why it matters: Public comment reflects parental and community sentiment about curriculum and assessment and can influence board priorities and staff follow-up. The transcript records Rocha’s statements but does not show any immediate policy changes or board directives in the provided excerpt.

The board proceeded to the consent agenda after public comment; no formal board action on Rocha’s requests is recorded in the supplied transcript.