Almost OK

This op-ed is almost OK. They end up saying "just do it" "ditch the bad." OK, as far as it goes.

But it doesn't go far enough.

There's still the insistence that we "keep what's good" -- the obligatory bow to the wonders of "accountability." As if the FCAT is the only way a parent could know what's going on with their child in their school.

"Just do it" -- ditch the whole thing and get on with figuring out how schools can truly serve children and their communities.

ESE and the FCAT

A teacher sorted out the acronyms -- and supplied a new one! :) -- on the FCARForum list this weekend:

Given the spate of F#&% editorials in the papers this weekend, I thought that this might be the time to tell my story about how the emphasis on F#&% has affected the instruction of my ESE students and my teaching career.

After 18 years as a teacher of self-contained classes for emotionally disabled students in a high school in my district, I had the opportunity to play a part in the establishment of a stand-alone, magnet school (specializing in information technology).

I had served under my new principal when she was an assistant principal responsible for ESE at the aforementioned high school. While there, she had earned her doctorate in ESE law and had led an ESE department that was very successful in providing for the special needs of its special populations (ED, SLD, EMD, VI, HI, S/L). I served, for a period of time, as the department chair. I decided that I'd "follow" her and help to build the new school.

Our new magnet school implemented an inclusion model in which all our ESE students (SLD, ED, HI, S/l), all moderately disabled, received all their instruction in mainstream classrooms (standard, honors, AP). I served as the inclusion specialist charged with providing supportive facilitation in said classrooms and providing resource class type services when needed.

Since none of our ESE students were enrolled in ESE classes, we did not receive heightened funding for their instruction. The district funded my position at 60%, but for four years my principal was able to find additional funding for the balance of my full-time position.

After some disappointing school-wide performances on F#&% exams and a mandate for more reading coaches and teachers, my principal informed me that she would not be able to fund the extra 40% to pay for a full-time position. My students and their teachers would have to make due with part-time services. I was compelled to leave my position and transfer to a special center for the instruction of severely emotionally disabled students (SED).

Last year, my first at the center, I provided physical education instruction for about one-third of our students. Even though there was a concerted effort to raise F#&% writing scores, I was freed, to a certain degree, to concentrate on my students' more pressing individual needs because PE standards are not tested by the F#&%.

This year, since none of our students have "passed" the F#&%, many have been enrolled in remedial reading and math courses. Elective class offerings have declined even at our special center. Now, I provide PE instruction to only one-tenth of our students.

As you might imagine, our special center has never received monetary rewards through the A+ School Recognition Program, nor do we teachers ever expect to earn STAR (Special Teachers Are Rewarded) performance-pay. Yet, the administration and teachers at our center still are passionately dedicated to meeting the special needs of our students, despite reduced planning time and increased F#&% staff trainings (three out of four meetings per month). With severely emotionally disabled students, we have little choice but to place their needs first.

But how well are other schools and teachers are meeting the needs of more moderately disabled students and of "regular" students?

As long as F#&% is the high-stakes, end all-be all, students' needs will be secondary to the politics of ideologues and the profit motive. How should F#&% be reformed? Use it only as a diagnostic tool. Make the needs of all students the primary concern!

For more insights from Chris and other concerned educators, visit TheLink.

Jumping Jacks??

Give FCAT a Workout

Surely there's more to the plan than a name change and jumping jacks? Really? Teacher-led jumping jacks? Did he really say that?

Headlines -- 2/8/07

Gov. Crist

BOTTOM LINE: FCAT changes must be more than cosmetic.

School grades fail credibility test

Issues of race and class complicate this issue.