By Pat Trevino | September 8, 2025

I graduated in an era when a high school diploma meant you showed up, passed your classes—even if barely—and walked across the stage with your head held high. A “D” wasn’t a badge of shame. It was a signal that maybe you had family struggles, maybe you worked two jobs, maybe you weren’t a test-taker—but you finished. And that counted.

We weren’t judged by a single test score. We were judged by what we did next.

And what did we do? We built Texas.

We raised families. We started businesses. We staffed hospitals, ran ranches, taught classrooms, and kept communities running. We didn’t need five state exams to prove our worth. We proved it by showing up—for work, for our kids, for our towns.

Then vs. Now: The Testing Burden

Today’s students face a very different reality. To graduate high school in Texas, they must pass five End-of-Course (EOC) exams: Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. Even if they pass every class, failing just one of these tests can block their diploma.

And now, with the legislature’s so-called “victory” in eliminating STAAR, students won’t be free of testing—they’ll be saddled with three separate exams: Beginning-of-Year, Middle-of-Year, and End-of-Year assessments. That’s not relief. That’s redistribution.

The logic seems to be: if one test was a problem, let’s give them three.

What We Gained Without Testing

My generation didn’t have standardized tests until the very end of high school—and even then, it was the SAT, not a state-mandated graduation requirement. And yet:

• We entered the workforce with grit and adaptability.
• We learned on the job, not just in a classroom.
• We built careers in trades, agriculture, healthcare, and education.
• We contributed to a booming Texas economy that still benefits from our labor.

We weren’t perfect. But we weren’t paralyzed by performance metrics either. We were allowed to grow, stumble, and still succeed.

Legislators Call It Progress—But Who Benefits?

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 8, which phases out STAAR by 2027. But instead of removing the testing burden, it repackages it. Now, districts must choose vendors for the new BOY and MOY tests, while the TEA creates the EOY exam.

Translation: more contracts, more vendors, more money.

Here’s how I look at today’s problems:
Is there really a crisis—or did someone manufacture one to turn a profit? I’ve learned to follow the money, because more often than not, what’s sold as a “problem” is just a business model in disguise.
Take STAAR, for example. What started as a supposed solution to educational gaps became a golden ticket for private companies. The “problem” was never just about student performance—it was about opening the door to new contracts, new tests, and new ways to monetize public education.
So when I hear panic in the headlines, I pause. I ask: who benefits from this fear? Who’s cashing the check? Because sometimes, the crisis isn’t real. It’s just good marketing.

A Legacy Worth Defending

My generation didn’t need a battery of tests to prove we were ready. We proved it by living. By working. By showing up.

So when we talk about reform, let’s not pretend that swapping one test for three is progress. Let’s ask what kind of learning we want to protect. Let’s ask whether our kids are being taught to think—or just to perform.

A diploma should honor the years a student spent learning, striving, and showing up—not just the results of a handful of standardized tests. In Cuero and beyond, we ought to celebrate the whole journey—not reduce it to a score.