Education official: Test opt-out bill could protect cheaters

Legislation that lets school children refuse to take mandatory state tests for medical reasons could open the door to cheating, according to one top education official.

Kelly Henson, leader of Georgia’s teacher credentialing agency, said Thursday that if Gov. Nathan Deal signs Senate Bill 355, his organization will ask for an ethics opinion from the Georgia Attorney General’s office.

“It’s not an improbable scenario that, at least in some places, there would be a concerted and organized effort to encourage certain parents to opt out,” said Henson, the executive secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which sanctions school employees for unethical behavior.”