The other day I noted that the State of Florida was, once again, "putting the screws" to public education by rigging the scores on our State assessment (FCAT).  I have since learned that the State's foolishness is about to find even greater lows.  These bureaucrats and politicians are considering changing the rules for assigning grades to public schools.  See:

(http://palmbeachpost.com/news/new-formula-could-mean-more-fs-fewer-as-2193843.html)

The new formula, if implemented, would include new, "more rigorous" guidlines for Florida's A+ school grading system IN ADDITION TO rigging the test scoring system.   So now, the State is planning to hurt schools by both rigging the test scores and by gaming the school grading system to lower school grades across the state.  As rationale for this atrocity, the State Board of Education is citing the same nonsense we have heard before: "High school graduates are not truly college ready or prepared for the workplace."

The problem with these measures is that they do not lead to reforms that prepare our students for the workplace.  These measures lead to better test takers...period! 

Don't get me wrong.  I am not anti-assessment.  Assessment, using multiple measures, goes a long way to help me determine which programs or school-wide practices are bringing about success for our students and teachers.  From these measures I can tell what needs tweaking or should be elimiminated.  Assessment helps our school determine our needs for professional development. 

In the classroom, multiple assessment measures such as formalized tests, mini-assessments, anecdotal data, etc., at reasonable intervals, assist teachers in their planning and drive instructional practices. 

Assessments, including formalized tests, should be educational experiences for schools, teachers and students.  Not moments of high anxiety for all involved. 

I am against using testing as a means of tearing down public education.  Any testing used to assign school grades or status is harmful to public education.  It begins a vicious cycle of developing test-takers who are not college or workforce ready.  Politicians then scream that our kids aren't ready.  Which then leads to more stringent testing policies which leads to even better test-takers who are even less college or workforce ready.  Which leads to more political whining.  Which leads to more stringent testing...you get the picture. 

The result of this cycle is that the fabric of public education is being torn apart one strand at a time.  Some of the people who are involved in this destruction of our educational system, I believe, truly feel that these "reforms" will make education stronger.  Some of them want to use these reforms as a method for weakening teachers unions.  Still others use them to promote their privatization agenda. 

(I also believe that most of the legislators who have been pushing this nightmare couldn't pass the 5th grade FCAT much less graduate from high school.)

Whatever the case, NONE of these politicians or bureaucrats should be in a position to set policy regarding the education of our students.  All people who are stakeholders in public education must construct an organized campaign to vote current "reformers" out of office and to vet politicians running for office to ensure that only those, regardless of political affiliation, who have developed a well-researched, well-thought, pro-public education platform are elected.

If you read my blog the other day, I'm sure you are noticing a theme.  It is a theme I will come back to regularly.  We need to act...NOW!