Valerie Strauss: Florida ed reform passes: Is it a model or disaster?

[tonysam]

If Crist allows this to become law, public education and teaching in the United States are dead. This will spread like wildfire, aided and abetted by our "Democratic" administration:

Already approved by the Senate, the legislation now rests with Crist, who first said he supported it but has been hinting that he may now use his veto because it is so unpopular.

Teachers, parents and students have been loudly protesting the legislation, which, if it becomes law, would:

*Make Florida the first state to eliminate tenure for new teachers, putting them all on one-year contracts for the first five years.

*Eliminate class experience and advanced degrees (in most cases) as factors in teacher evaluations and pay increases.

*Require that at least 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation, and pay increases, be based on standardized test scores. Test experts say this method is faulty because teachers can’t control every factor that affects the test-taking process.

*Require the creation of a slew of new standardized tests for every subject, in every grade that is not already assessed. This must come as good news to companies that create tests and that prepare students for taking tests. There could be a lot of new business for them in Florida

Washington Post

[DrDan]

1. it is a model for disaster

[iris27]

2. I really hope Crist veto this. n/t

[DrDan]

3. "good news to companies that create tests"

guess who is into this . . . another of the bushes

These guys have no bounds when it comes to putting another dollar in their pocket. Screw another generation? That's ok as long as money can be made.

[ixion]

7. Exactly...

If it smells like a scam, you can bet the BFEE has their bloody, little fingers in it.

[spartan61]

4. I'm totally amazed

that teachers' pay and contracts will rely on student performance, but a CEO of a large bank, airlines, et al, can bring their companies to the brink of bankruptcy and in the process earn millions of dollars in bonuses. I am so totally against this bill and I am a Florida resident. I hope Crist will veto this bill. I don't think he has much to lose since Rubio seems to have the momentum and endorsements for the GOP primary.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. How much are they going to pay the Art teacher? Counselor? P.E?

No one can answer these questions.

[Riley18]

10. Their new "law" makes the district hold back like 5% of their budget in order

to create their own tests for the special area teachers. There goes our step increase money. It is like making someone dig their own grave before you shoot them in the back.

The last party to vote the party line exclusively were the Nazis. The next thing they will do is rewrite that history too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. So even more tests??

Oh that's a terrific idea!

:sarcasm:

[Ms. Toad]

6. In most poorer schools that will mean a turnstile for inexperienced teachers

Most schools stick the least experienced teachers with the hardest (generally lowest performing) classes. That means that inexperienced teachers will have relatively lower student test scores than more experienced ones - regardless of how qualified they are.

My department in my school district was abnormal - even in my 11th year of teaching more than half of my schedule was made of up of classes which attracted students whose attendance averaged around 50% (i.e. they got stuck there since there was nowhere else to put them). Not surprisingly, I had a pass rate in those classes of 30-60% (depending on the particular mixture of kids). The pass rate in my other classes was 90-95%.

In other departments in my district (and in most schools), you are rewarded as you move up the scale by never having to teach those tough classes after the first few years. If continued employment is based, in large part, on student scores those inexperienced teachers - particularly those teaching in already struggling districts - will far more frequently be shown the door - not because of anything they had any control over, but because of the mixture of classes most first year (secondary - at least) teachers are given.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Attendance is part of AYP now

So you are screwed with that 50% attendance class.

Better go around and get the kids out of bed and to class on time if you want that merit pay!!

[Ms. Toad]

13. In most schools that are really impacted, it souldn't be a problem

except for the newer teachers - who are going to be the ones stuck with both the students who don't attend and the students who can't pass their classes.

The school I taught at for 11 years met only 3 of the 30 standards. They are in Academic Watch (the next to bottom of 6 categories). By 11th grade, only 65.2 % of the students had passed the OGT in math (10th grade proficiency - required to graduate), and 57.3% in science - the two subjects I taught. The attendance rate, overall, is 87.6%

The high school I taught in, and the middle school that fed into it, have been in School Improvement status since the first year it was possible, one of the elementary schools escaped one year, and the other two escaped for three years - but have been there ever since.

As for consequences - virtually none of the parents have the resources to allow their children to take advantage of any of the alternatives to public school, so there really are none.

So - not really an issue in the schools that need it the most since they are so far gone that AYP isn't even a dream. All hinging continued employment on passing tests does is punish the students who have no alternative - and the teachers who chose to try to make a difference. Under Florida's bill, at least those energetic, fresh out of college (and stuck with the lowest performing classes) won't have to feel bad about bailing - they won't have a choice. That'll teach 'em.

[Guilded Lilly]

8. Horrible.

But not unbelievable for the shallow brains supporting this catastrophe just waiting to happen.

[Riley18]

9. Jeb refuses to leave our state until he has every education dollar in his pockets.

He wasn't satisfied with the millions his family stole under the guise of the FCAT test. Teachers are now even permitted to gaze upon this ridiculous test. He hired people off the street to grade the essay questions because he could not "trust" teachers to grade them. We should have rioted in the streets when this shit first started. They even have Obama falling for this crap.