Legislators still not listening to parents, teachers, Superintendents and school boards

“The principle of accountability ensures we measure student outcomes.” she says, “Parents have a right to know whether their child is making adequate progress.” ~ Rep Adkins

Florida House Legislative Leaders still do not appear to be hearing the concerns of parents, teachers, superintendents and school boards.  Florida House of Representative Janet Adkins, chairwoman of the House K-12 Education subcommittee released a statement on Tuesday continuing supporting strong support for the current accountability system which is based in testing assessments of students and linking those test to teacher evaluations. Click here to read statement.

Despite the Florida School Board Association (FSBA), Florida Association Of District School Superintendents (FADSS), Florida Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and the Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA) call for an overhaul to the current Florida accountability system which has been plagued with issues largely surrounding the Florida Standardized Assessment or FSA.

While I greatly appreciate that Rep. Adkins shared in her statement that one of the issues she will be working on is to address struggling readers and those with Dyslexia– Rep. Adkins stated, “One major focus of my committee work will be to craft a framework to ensure we address the challenge of those who struggle to read and those with Dyslexia”.  That said I believe that the State Legislature have cross the line of what is best for students with the current over testing and flawed state mandated school accountability system.

I would respectfully counter Rep. Adkins statements by sharing; that the legislature should listen to parents’, teachers’, administrators’, school boards’ and the communities’ concerns, rather than be lectured too and by the legislature. Because of the laws which Rep. Adkins and her colleagues have passed over the last many years it isn’t teachers and school districts who determine ‘adequate progress’– it is unfortunately for our students, the State Legislature. This should be a concern to us all. It is time that Rep. Adkins and the Florida Legislature stop the direction they continue to arrogantly go in public education which is having drastically negative consequences on our students’ lives.

Why do Representative Adkins and her committee continue to believe they know what is best for our young people over the teachers, administrators, parents, and school boards that represent them?

Comments Off on Legislators still not listening to parents, teachers, Superintendents and school boards
Filed under: News & Updates