BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York State United Teachers wants the governor to use his executive authority to waive teacher evaluations for this school year.

"How can you say that anything standard happened this year when everything was so different," NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said.

Pallotta said schools and teachers are in a very similar situation to last year when Cuomo took that step. Each district is different but in most cases students are not fully back in buildings.

"Some students having access to a computer, some not," Pallotta said. "Some school districts delivering manila envelopes with lessons in them, picking them up by bus, so how do you really go forward with that and then evaluate teachers."

The union has also asked the federal government to waive standardized testing requirements. New York has canceled Regents exams with the exception of federally required English, Algebra 1, Earth Science and Living Environment.

"Next year, hopefully we're all back in school buildings and things are as close to what they used to be and better than what we used to be, so we can get back to standardized testing — not that we think that that is a great way of running a school system and spending money but also on APPR," Pallotta said.

In 2019, the state got rid of the requirement to include standardized testing in the Annual Professional Performance Review, or APPR. However, Pallotta said many districts have negotiated a deal that still gives the tests some weight.

NYS Education Department officials tell Spectrum News they support legislation that would prohibit APPRs from being completed this year.