Former Senate President and education appropriations committee chairman Don Gaetz wants to know how much the state spends on standardized testing. That’s a question which doesn’t have an easy answer, as captured in this exchange between Gaetz and the Department of Education’s Vince Burgess:
Gaetz: “You’re telling me the total cost of all assessments and tests required by the state is $90 million? That’s the all in cost?
Burgess: “That’s correct. That does not include the teacher-selected or district selected tests—
Gaetz: “Try again. Let’s see if we can’t get to a real number.”
During the past year, school district administrators, parents and teachers have grown increasingly frustrated with what critics say is an out-of-control testing system. Part of the problem is due to the myriad of state laws that address testing—and which mandate it.
