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Senate Prez Doesn’t Like School Grades Decision
July 31, 2013
Raising concerns about parents not getting accurate evaluations of their children’s schools, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said he was not a “big fan” of a state decision to prevent schools from dropping more than one letter grade this year.
Six Escambia County schools benefit from the one letter grade drop protection: Ernest Ward, C.A. Weis, McArthur, Montclair, Navy Point and O. J. Semmes.
“I don’t think you’re really kidding anybody when you say, ‘Well, we’ve got a C school that really dropped to an F school, but we’re just going to give it a D and hope that everybody sort of figures out that this is a school that’s not done so well,’ ” Gaetz said during an appearance this week on The Florida Channel’s “Florida Face to Face” interview show.
Gaetz, a former Okaloosa County schools superintendent, added, “I think when you get an F, you get an F. When you get an A, you get an A. And I think we ought to be honest with parents.”
Gaetz made the comments about two weeks after the state Board of Education voted 4-3 to prevent drops of more than one letter grade. That move came after school superintendents said they feared steep drops this year in the closely watched grades. Superintendents pointed, at least in part, to repeated changes in the state’s school-accountability system — 13 this year alone — which they say have made it harder to meet standards and have created uncertainty.
Gaetz acknowledged during the interview that changes had complicated the grading system.
For the 2013 school grade for every Escambia County elementary and middle school, click here. High school grades won’t be released until later this year.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Comments
9 Responses to “Senate Prez Doesn’t Like School Grades Decision”
EXTENDING:
“I think schools should FOCUS on the basics…like Science, Math, English & History…Throw in some Etiquette & Manners….”
And civics
And decency
And keyboarding (formerly known as typing)
And the science should include chemistry, physics, geology biology, meteorology, astronomy, optics, strength of materials, statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, physiology, hydrology, . . . .
And the math should include algebra, linear algebra, geometry, accounting, calculus, partial differential equations, statistics, number theory, . .
And the English should include spelling, grammar, poetry, essays, literature, sentence structure, short stories, plays, speech, novels, . . .
And the History should include American, World, Human, geography, world cultures, law, . . . .
Piece of cake.
(Or is that not focusing? The simplest things could be taught in just a few years and then put the kids out in the job market knowing few of the things employers might normally expect and need.)
And since I don’t have much in the way of etiquette or manners I don’t know what they should teach there. Although I do recall many such things were in the typing book so we learned them while typing them. In fact many things can be part of reading, writing and assorted aspects of arithmetic.
And there should be some sort of test to verify the children were taught and how well they learned what they were taught. Yes?
David for a more perfect system
>>I’m pretty certain that Molino Park Elementary was one of those schools that benefitted from the one letter grade drop protection. Just wondering why they’ve been left off the list…
No. Molino Park fell from a “B” to a “C”. They DID NOT benefit from the one letter protection.
Personally, I think the “F-Cat” system stinks. What do we send our children to school for it they only have to succeed in passing the “F-Cat”? What happen to the good old Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, plus English, Science & Physical Education? Do they even have P.E. any more? I’m so-so-so glad that my children are out of the public school system. I think that public education has gone down in the last 20 years. Yes, we have all these electronic gadgets & such, but a child needs to think, use his brain, AND not depend on electronics. If it should ever happen that we go dark, no power, no batteries, what will become of our lives, our children, grandchildren then? It’s really something to think about. AND (not proper) what about these parents who don’t care if their children succeed in school or not? They don’t give them any attention or if they do, it’s usually not related to their best interest. Children need discipline, love, help with their studies, a somewhat decent home, and guidance!! Are you giving your child what he or she needs. Last but not least, LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST!! I realize there are lots who won’t agree with me, but these are my thoughts and they seem to work for us!
I’m pretty certain that Molino Park Elementary was one of those schools that benefitted from the one letter grade drop protection. Just wondering why they’ve been left off the list…
When I was a kid and in elementary school in the early 60’s, you earned your grade. It has become common to give in and get the child the grade to spare feelings. I know that feelings are important, but a lot gets lost with this method. What happened to the good feelings that come along with a job well done? That child who is given the grade is robbed from that and also taught that throughout life, someone will excuse them from anything….like bad behavior, bad work product, relationships in life, and so on. The school should earn it’s grade as well. I know things are different now, but some things never change: honor, honesty, a good job, and taking pride. Wish those things were taught in school.
I think schools should FOCUS on the basics…like Science, Math, English & History…Throw in some Etiquette & Manners….Stop trying to teach for the FCAT…the Jeb Bush FAIL..
I remember this being discussed last summer also. Did they do it then also and just not publicize it as much?
The reason behind not giving them an “F’ is to keep the district from having to implement the “turn around” rule. Under the rule the would have to restaff the whole school, get a new principle….just a whole slew of things. Basically what they did to at Warrigton Middle. They are doing it all over the state. I will add, I agree with you.
It all sounds like fraud. Why should it be difficult to just tell the truth and give honest accounting on how the schools perform?