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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Suspected murderer in death of Crescent City man at Lake Selmac still on loose ... Medford woman finds alleged truck thief sitting on her couch ... Break-up leads to alleged mallet assault ... Suspected murderer in death of Crescent City man at Lake Selmac still on loose ... Medford woman finds alleged truck thief sitting on her couch ... Break-up leads to alleged mallet assault ... OUR VIEW Our View: Testing the governor's resolve Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Oct. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News It's not easy being governor. For evidence, look no further than Gov. Kate Brown's precarious balancing act over legislation she signed allowing parents to "opt out" of standardized tests for their children while the state Department of Education — which she heads — pressures school districts with lagging participation rates to get more students to opt in. Brown signed House Bill 2655 in June, which not only gives parents the right to opt out of standardized testing but requires school districts to notify parents of that right. The bill passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses, although Democrats and Republicans likely supported it for different reasons. Republicans chafe at a strong federal role in education, believing it tramples on state and local control of public schools. Democrats listen to the teachers unions, who made this bill one of their top priorities in this year's legislative session. Teachers see standardized tests as the government telling them how and what to teach, and resist any suggestion that their performance in the classroom should be measured by test scores. But teachers are also among the loudest voices clamoring for better funding for schools. And this issue is all about money. At stake are federal dollars that could be at risk if participation rates on standardized tests drop too low. Federal guidelines say districts should have overall participation rates of 94.5 percent, with specific subgroups of students hitting the mark as well. Federal officials have threatened to withhold $140 million a year in Tltle I funding if participation drops below the 94.5 percent threshhold. Medford schools receive $3.5 million of that money. After Brown signed HB 2655, she did a political about-face and urged parents not to exercise their right to opt out. And now emails obtained through a freedom of information request by the Willamette Week newspaper indicate the Department of Education has asked superintendents around the state how they intend to raise their sagging participation rates. Brown can't have it both ways. If she has real objections to federal testing requirements, she should work with the state's congressional delegation to get them changed. Issuing contradictory messages on this issue serves no one, except, perhaps, the governor. Correction Juan Antonio Gonzalez-Marquez Marco Antonio Diaz, who participated in the murder of a Medford man in 2009, allegedly was the gunman who injured a Medford man in a drive-by shooting on Oct. 13. An incorrect name was listed in Wednesday's editorial. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501