2006/11/07 15:37
Rapidly Backtracking
I got scolded in the comments of my last post for not caring about Florida education. Let me clarify: What I don't care about is how they opt to hold schools accountable. That's the issue at stake with these candidates; whether the state keeps the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) or switches to something else.
The Democrats feel that the FCAT rankings make poorly-performing schools feel like failures, thus setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the failing schools can never un-brand themselves of the F they've been given. The Republicans think the FCAT works great -- after all, Florida schools get ranked in the top ten nationally year in and year out.
A standardized test never accurately judged how smart a kid is, though. And whether they keep or toss the FCAT, it's not really going to change how teachers prepare their curricula. Margarita will never take it, anyway; instead, she'll be breezing through the joke that is the New Mexico State Competency Exam, sleepwalking through classes in the state whose schools and students usually rank 49th -- or worse. So forgive me if I turn my attention to where educational improvements are really needed.
The Democrats feel that the FCAT rankings make poorly-performing schools feel like failures, thus setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the failing schools can never un-brand themselves of the F they've been given. The Republicans think the FCAT works great -- after all, Florida schools get ranked in the top ten nationally year in and year out.
A standardized test never accurately judged how smart a kid is, though. And whether they keep or toss the FCAT, it's not really going to change how teachers prepare their curricula. Margarita will never take it, anyway; instead, she'll be breezing through the joke that is the New Mexico State Competency Exam, sleepwalking through classes in the state whose schools and students usually rank 49th -- or worse. So forgive me if I turn my attention to where educational improvements are really needed.
What they need to do is test their teachers every year. If they can't pass then they should be tossed out. It always pissed me off to see the p.e. coach teaching history one second and algebra the next when I knew he was just an OLD jock who wouldn't know anything on the subjects.
Now that makes more sense. And I love Synergy's comment about testing the teachers! Teachers should definitely be more specialized in the subjects they are teaching.
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: 11/08/2006 4:23 PM
: 11/08/2006 4:23 PM << Home
