Teacher a victim of a failed system

I was savoring every line of this terrific letter in today's St. Pete Times so much that I didn't even glance at the writer's name until I got
to the bottom, when I saw that it's by one of my personal heroines--FCAR director Judy Castillo. For those new to FCAR, in 2003 Judy and her husband sued the state for access to their son's graded FCATs. They didn't prevail, thanks to one of Jeb's appointees (and former staffers) on the appeals court, who reversed a favorable lower court decision, but they brought a lot of sunshine into a very dark corner--and won my undying respect. ~Gloria Pipkin



Teacher a victim of a failed system

The teacher in Pasco County who was fired for FCAT violations is a scapegoat for a failed system. At one time, citizens may have believed the FCAT would improve education. But now, most of us understand that the FCAT is just another divisive tool being used to segregate students. Wealthier communities enjoy higher scores and receive more state funds. Poorer communities suffer lower scores and, therefore, receive less funding. This is institutional racism cloaked in its finest apparel.

I am a high school teacher. During FCAT season, we must attend a brief tutorial on how to administer the test. We receive a book of instruction that none of us is able to completely read. Then, we are forced to sign a paper that stipulates we will not look at the FCAT booklet.

However, we are told that we must proctor the test by moving about the room, making sure all students are on the correct section of the test. How do you do that without glancing at the test? So, teachers are forced into a corner. We are the ones who must pay for the state's unprofessionalism. The state made big mistakes on last year's tests, yet who among them must lose their jobs? Who among them must be responsible to the taxpayers for the cost of a bungled debacle? Who among them will even apologize to the citizens of this state who believed in them? To the schools who depend on them? To the teachers who are sacrificed by them?

Because the state has done such a remarkable job of clouding the real issues in education, including the FCAT sham, it is hard for most people to see what's really at the core of this program. FCAT is not about improving education. It is not about fairness, equality or progress. It is about money and political manipulation. Sacrificing a teacher here or there to maintain rigid control and fear among educators is a small price for them to pay.

I hope the new governor is willing to undress the FCAT and promote a truly progressive education plan - one based on openness, clarity and honesty, and one that doesn't hold teachers hostage in the classrooms, afraid to make the wrong move, afraid to help students, afraid to do their jobs. Let's hope the new governor values what education is about: asking questions and finding answers.

Judy Castillo, Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform, Brooksville