Florida lets talk about testing (draft)

Florida's high stakes tests are here for one reason and one reason only and that is to bludgeon teachers, schools and students, they are not important or necessary and proof  of this is the states massive and I mean massive expansion of vouchers. Voucher schools don't have to take any meaningful tests. If tests are so important for public schools, why aren't they important for voucher schools. Don't answer that we all know why.

When we get back in August, fingers crossed we do, we are going to be too busy trying to survive and dealing with mental health issues to have high stakes test looming over our shoulders. I am not saying meaningful instruction won't occur, I am saying staff and students don't need the added stress of having to worry about a high stakes test that does nothing to improve instruction. 

Heck Friends, Georgia, GEORGIA is getting this one right.

From the Washington Post,

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said on Thursday that he would seek federal permission to suspend mandated standardized testing for 2020-21, the second year in a row, because of disruptions to learning because of the coronavirus pandemic. And he said he would keep pushing to eliminate some tests outright because the “current high-stakes testing regime is excessive.”

The announcement is the first made by any U.S. governor to seek a 2020-21 testing waiver from the U.S. Education Department, but is probably not the last, given the potential for continued disruptions to learning as the pandemic continues.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/18/georgia-becomes-first-state-seek-suspension-standardized-tests-2020-21-due-coronavirus/

In my home town of Jacksonville Florida they are proposing three different models to educate students. We are also going to have school closures, some kid or their parent is going to test positive and entire schools will shut down for weeks at a time. That is inevitable. We are going to have kids dealing with trauma and trying to catch up or not fall to far behind. There will be a lot going on and worrying about the test shouldn't be part of it.

DeSantis and his crew did a victory walk with their next to nothing pay raise. Now it's time for him to actually do something for teachers and students that's taking Florida's high stakes test off their plates.