Our family cannot support Gov. Ron DeSantis’ inhumane decision to impose a labor- and time-intensive, potentially unsafe Florida Standards Assessments testing regimen on our schools while families and educators continue defending themselves from the physical, psychological and economic trauma of a deadly, airborne virus.
Nor do we support the governor’s disrespect to our teachers by allowing 2021 FSA data to remain part of three-year “VAM” scores used for teacher evaluation. These are unethical decisions.
For these reasons, we will be depriving the state from capturing our child’s FSA scores this year.
Our decision was difficult to make. Our child’s scores are potentially valuable data. It is not lost on us that FSA scores from our (relatively) privileged students have come to mean job security for our precious teachers. These scores translate into funding and stability for all our precious students privileged or not.
Orange final exams will do students no harm
orlandosentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from orlandosentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lakewood Elementary defies the COVID slide with a burst of success
tampabay.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tampabay.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Right move on school tests in Florida | Editorial
Now focus on addressing achievement gaps from a chaotic year
Â
Â
A classroom with socially distanced desks is shown at Hollywood Park Elementary on Oct. 6, 2020. [ SUSAN STOCKER / SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL | South Florida Sun Sentinel ]
This article represents the opinion of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board.
Published 1 hour ago
Updated 1 hour ago
The pandemic wreaked havoc on few institutions more than the school system. Thatâs why it was smart that Florida granted schools, students and parents some much-needed relief from the punitive impact of high-stakes testing. Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran should be commended for listening to educators and parents, and all sides should use this opportunity to address the achievement gaps from a chaotic year.