Florida School Boards Association
When Florida suspended its FAIR exam for kindergarten through second grade, high-stakes testing opponents cheered the change as a step toward a deescalation of the state’s attachment to assessments. Since then, though, the Florida Department of Education has moved to tamp down any such notion. The decision to cut the reading test had nothing to…
After weeks of protests, Florida testing critics claimed a victory Monday: The state suspended one of its tests. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart ended the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading, known as the FAIR test, in kindergarten through second grade. In its place, teachers will observe children’s reading abilities in a more informal setting than…
TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s littlest learners won’t have to worry about some standardized tests this year, the state education department said Monday. The announcement came after school systems, including Miami-Dade, ran into technical troubles administering the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading to students in kindergarten through second grade. State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart promptly suspended…
An Alachua County teacher is risking her job to take a stand against what she says is unnecessary standardized testing. Susan Bowles, 59, has 26 years of education experience and is currently teaching kindergarten at Chiles Elementary. Testing of kindergarten students has increased over the years, she said, but it reached a crescendo for her…
In Florida, the state where former governor Jeb Bush (R) pioneered the use of high-stakes standardized tests for school “accountability” purposes, a testing revolt is unfolding. Late last month, the Lee County school board voted to drop all state-mandated tests as an act of “civil disobedience,” though the vote was rescinded because of fear that…
While Lee County residents debated opting out of Florida’s testing program on principle, one Pasco County mom suggested the focus should be on the technical. Heidi Janshon, a Pasco elementary school parent and Common Core foe, told the School Board they, too should walk away from the new Florida Standards Assessments that students are slated…
It’s a hot topic this political season. The Common Core education standards were discussed in campaign forums and meet-and-greets. Some school board candidates have promised to expel them from Florida if elected. So, too, have some congressional candidates and state House and Senate hopefuls. Whether they will succeed, as voters head to the polls today…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday will roll out a series of education proposals that touches on everything from high-stakes testing to the cost of college and represents a break from some of the signature moves put in place by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Scott wants to create an independent committee to…
Just when you think things can’t get any worse for kindergartners, they do. It used to be that kindergartners could play — which is how early childhood development experts say young children learn and are socialized best. Today 5- and 6-year-olds are forced to sit for hours at a time doing academics, often with little…
Public support for Common Core, the education standards heavily supported by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has suffered as more people learn about it, according to a new survey. While 80 percent of Americans have heard about Common Core, 60 percent oppose requiring teachers to use the standards to guide instruction, the survey by PDK/Gallup…