These days there is negative talk about education standards such as common core or the new Florida State Standards. Some proponents of the standards have made the argument that the United States must increase its rigor in our schools in order to better compete internationally. We’ll save the argument of whether these standards are good or bad for another time, but what I often take issue with is the rationale we often hear used to defend why we must “raise the standards bar and test more”.
First of all, in Florida our students are preforming far better than is often reported. In 2012 our 4th grade students were the first group of students to take international assessments linked to standards that align with national and international benchmarks using the PIRLS assessment. In reading, Florida scored second in the world just below first place Hong Kong, and far above the US in rankings of 7th place using the TIMSS assessment. Likewise, in those STEM areas, Florida scored in the top 10 in the world, matching Finland in mathematics and exceeding Hong Kong in science.
There is more to success than just our scores in education; it is our country’s philosophy on public education. I believe the United States in public education has been far more successful in the past with our students, teaching them to be “out of the box” thinkers and entrepreneurs. It is those ideas and teaching that I feel have greatly contributed to our country flourishing internationally. The United States, since we’ve been tracking international educational testing scores have always been lower down the line than other developed nations. There are several contributing factors as to why, but one of the biggest reasons it that in the United States, we educate and test all our students, many of those countries do not educate all students and we teach more than just writing, math and science. We are interested in “the Whole Child”. We are not like the communist regime’s belief that an individual is only as good as they can contribute to the mother country. In the United States you have a “right” to fail, but you also have the ability to greatly succeed. Each person in the United States gets to determine what “success” means to them. In the time that many other developing countries have beaten our scores in math and science– we have put men on the moon, built the most successful economic nation and beat communism. Not bad I believe.
Now in the United States, rather than simply mandating high-stakes testing for our students, we need to focus on the concepts that made our students into entrepreneurs and our nation successful. It is time for not just the federal government, but the state government to let local school boards, parents and teachers teach and assess as they see best for students, and not what the government wants. Doing this will continue our great State’s and Nation’s success.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Yesterday the Florida Senate voted to make SB616 to be the Florida House’s version of the bill on testing, HB7069. The Senates voted 32-4 to strike all of the language in SB616 and adopt the House’s language of HB7069. Prior to the vote, several Senators expressed their anger that the current Florida state testing system had gotten out of control. (read article here: http://www.wptv.com/news/state/florida-senate-passes-testing-bill-amid-gop-anger) One of those Senators was Appropriations Chairman Senator Tom Lee (R) of Brandon, who said, “I’m done with the testing system in the State of Florida”. The Senator went on for over four minutes about his frustration with the State testing system and moment. Follow this link to watch the Senator’s address; https://youtu.be/zH95Rme1fOg.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office is looking for student artists interested in its annual disaster preparedness art expo competition.
Submission to the 2015 Hurricane & All Hazards Expo Art Competition is open to all Citrus County middle and high school students, including public, private and home-schooled students.
Entries will be judged by community members on how creatively and effectively artists illustrate the message of disaster preparedness.
First-place winners will win a $500 Visa gift card.
Submissions are due no later than 5 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the sheriff’s Emergency Operations Center.
To pick up an entry form, go to the sheriff’s main office in Inverness, 1 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., or at the Emergency Operations Center, at 3549 Saunders Way, Lecanto.
I want to thank Senators Lee and Hays for their comments on the floor of the Senate yesterday;
“We have lost the public-relations war in our communities over testing. And all the theory and all the concept is great, but the parents aren’t buying it anymore. We’ve spun and talked our way through this as long as we can, and no one’s buying the message anymore.” -Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon
“Don’t we owe it to the students, the parents and the teachers of this state to do it right instead of doing it in a hurry? I beg you, pass this good amendment and challenge, if you need to, our colleagues in the House to not take it. I cannot imagine their good conscience allowing them to reject this amendment.” -Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla
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Senate Education Committee Meeting Update on SB616
During today’s Senate Education Committee meeting to address SB616 (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2015/0616) there was an impressive effort by Senator Alan Hays (https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s11) through his amendments to SB616 greatly improve the testing challenges our students and school are facing this year. Unfortunately Senator Hays amendments were withdrawn. [Note: A Senator will sometimes withdraw an amendment rather than just simply have if voted down.]
Senate Rules Chairman David Simmons submitted an amendment that was adopted. (http://m.flsenate.gov/session/bill/2015/0616/amendment/283090/pdf) Simmons amendment does not provide the many positive changes that Sen. Hays’s amendment did. Simmons amendment primarily just identifies third-graders in the lower 25% quartile as at risk and provides them with additional help going into fourth grade. This of course is something that teachers and schools already do.
Hays plainly shared with the Committee, “let’s admit we have a train wreck on our hands“. He went on to say, “…we have some serious work to do to get this train back on its track“.
We should all thank Senator Hays for his valiant effort today. I believe we have found an advocate and friend in Senator Hays for students, parents and teachers.
While Hays amendments didn’t make it through committee, the Committee acknowledged that more needs to be done. There was much testimony by the public stating why the State would spent over $200 million on a State mandated test that is unclear if it is even going to be valid for measuring any student learning gains this year. In addition there was much testimony on the question of whether our students have too many state mandated tests. One of those that testified was a 19 year veteran principal who the Committee asked, “do you think we test too much?” He responded, “…yes, test less so we can teach more”. While in the Senate Education Committee today we didn’t get all that we needed, but all and all it wasn’t a bad day for those of us that have major concerns and issues with state mandated high stakes testing requirements of the last many years.
What I am pleased about this Legislative session is that Legislators are hearing and listening to parents about their concerns about the FSA test and other high stakes testing. What is still disappointing and concerning is that while the Legislators are realizing there are concerns with these high stakes test and there is a willingness to perhaps not use them this year punitively against students that is not what the Legislators are willing to do for teachers. Legislators have not been willing to suspend any testing results against teacher’s evaluations. I believe that is clearly wrong and have to ask, why? If Legislators are saying these tests are not valid for students then these same tests also must not be valid for teacher’s evaluations either.Top of Form
These days there is negative talk about education standards such as common core or the new Florida State Standards. Some proponents of the standards have made the argument that the United States must increase its rigor in our schools in order to better compete internationally. We’ll save the argument of whether these standards are good or bad for another time, but what I often take issue with is the rationale we often hear used to defend why we must “raise the standards bar and test more”.
First of all, in Florida our students are preforming far better than is often reported. In 2012 our 4th grade students were the first group of students to take international assessments linked to standards that align with national and international benchmarks using the PIRLS assessment. In reading, Florida scored second in the world just below first place Hong Kong, and far above the US in rankings of 7th place using the TIMSS assessment. Likewise, in those STEM areas, Florida scored in the top 10 in the world, matching Finland in 
mathematics and exceeding Hong Kong in science.
