More importantly, teachers across America are so sorry that this is happening to their beloved students.
This student's comment was written in response to the devastation to education (SB 736 enacted) taking place in Florida, as documented by Parents Across America in the following link:
http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/04/whats-happened-in-florida-in-the-past-three-weeks-read-it-and-weep/ The remainder of her/his message can be found in the comments section of the linked article.
Let there no longer even be any pretense that ed reform is about the children and strengthening public education on their behalf. It is about making darn sure public education does NOT succeed. Public education is not perfect but it is hated largely because it is public and because it stands in the way of billions ripe for the taking by profiteers.
Despairing not just for our children and their teachers but for our entire nation.
The best way to publicly shame our nation's leaders about the "merits" of merit pay would be to interview the nation's public school children.
Excerpts:
1) Teachers will have 50% of their evaluations based on student’s standardized test scores (FCATs).
This is effective immediately and impacts every teacher. Anyone who does not teach Reading or Math will receive a score based upon a calculation of all the teachers. So, to be clear, teacher’s salaries, their ability to be re-hired for one more year, their colleagues’ jobs and the opening or closing of your school itself all fall on the shoulders of that child taking that one test, that one day. How’s that for high stakes for the teachers?
2) This Merit Pay Bill was a moneyless bill.
Legislature admitted they have no money to fund the merit pay. (Yet they still claim they are ‘rewarding effective teachers!’)
3) New standardized tests will be created for every course taught- bill states 1,000 new tests to be created.
Important to note: The State does not fund the creation of these new tests. Each new test is estimated to be between $1M – $1.5M. Taxpayers will be burdened with this mandate.
Lots more of this egregious legislation at the link.