Scott in 2012: “for Common Core” now Scott: “federal government’s overreach (with Common Core)”

“Great Scott, what are you doing?”

Since Florida Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011 he has push or used his office and position to support aggressive change in Florida’s educational system.

Governor Scott enthusiastically signed into Florida law that mandates that every school had to change their evaluation system to evaluate teachers and their wage step increases based on students’ test results many of those tests given subject area having nothing to do with what that teacher teaches. In addition other changes in these laws included for the most part doing away with “due process” for long-term teachers.

Governor Scott who has been a vocal supporter of private charter schools, has signed numerous laws giving sweeping special advantages to private charter schools over public schools and as NPR reported in February 2013, “Scott did not visit a public school until seven months into his term”.

This past 2013 legislative session Florida legislators passed several bills and Governor Scott signed into law these bills that put Common Core State Standards (Common Core) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) in to Florida law.  It is most important to note that Florida law includes requiring Common Core in only two subject areas, math and English Language Arts (ELA).  Florida has NOT adopted any Common Core standards in the Sciences or Social Studies subject areas.  Those and other areas use the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) which were adopted into law 2008.

From 2010 when the Candidate Scott until this Monday, Governor Scott has expressed on many occasions his support of standard assessments for students and for those results to be used in the evaluation of teachers along with his support and embracing of Common Core State Standards.  In August 20, 2012, Governor Scott released a statement called, ‘Student Testing: “No More Teaching to the Test”’ expressing his support for Common Core and the PARCC.  In that statement Governor Scott says, “I’ve heard the frustrations teachers and parents have with the current FCAT system”, he goes on to say how PARCC was a test developed in part by Florida educators, “That’s why, next year, our schools will move to a ‘common core’ system, developed in part by Florida teachers, that emphasizes analytical problem solving over memorization and simple recitation of facts.”  Governor Scott goes on to say about the PARCC, “unlike the FCAT, PARCC will allow comparison of education performance across the country and will provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students need to learn to succeed in college and careers.  Teachers in Florida have been active in major parts of the development of this new system.”

Now on Monday Governor Scott seems to have done 180˚ by signing an executive order and releasing a statement, ‘Path Forward for High Education Standards & Decision to Withdraw from PARCC’ where he outlines a six step process to “Remove the state from federal intrusion in education policy”.   He went on to say, “I (Scott) told the federal government we are rejecting their overreach into our state education system by withdrawing from PARCC”.  Governor Scott then sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary, Arne Duncan in which Governor Scott states, “The Federal government has no constitutional authority to unilaterally set academic standards for Florida, nor any authority to unilaterally direct local school board decisions on curriculum and instruction”.

Really?  Where has this now come from?  This is the Governor who signed all the laws that removed many local control from local school board of managing teacher evaluations and the broadest implementation of Common Core standards and high stakes testing assessments.  So one is hard pressed not to ask, why, and why now? Perhaps Governor Scott might want to read his own Florida Department of Education’s paper: ‘Demystifying the Movement Answers to Common Myths about the Common Core State

Standards’ that addresses the very claims that the Governor Scott is now asserting.

As I have stated in the past I have my concerns over the implementation of Common Core and the punitive use of ANY standardized assessment tests against students and teachers, I believe from speaking directly with teachers, that common core standards encourages “old school” style instructional methods and teaching.  Common core standards have had many teachers re-inspired about teaching again since these laws mentioned early helped to take away that inspiration.  I also haven’t mentioned our students enough, in how they will be affected by Governor Scott’s decision and actions on Monday.  For nearly three years now teachers have been working with students’ transition from NGSSS to Common Core standards and in many cases required to teach to the Common Core standard in preparation for the PARCC assessment.  Where does this leave them?

If all of this were not enough, what about the millions and billions of Florida tax payer money has gone to implement and transition to Common Core State Standards and PARCC because Governor Scott, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Legislator required it, NOT the local school boards or federal government.

So where does this leave us today.  The next action will be in October for the Florida Educational Board to approve Governor Scott’s requests and orders.  I am troubled as to what will happen as each of these board members are Governor Appointees.  Following that it will be the Florida Legislator that will now get involved.  Last session I was generally pleased more so then other resent years with the work of the Florida Legislator in regards to positive educational changes.  Let’s hope that is the case again.

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