Scathing Purple Musings
Color me purple in Florida ALL Week
Florida Republican Hypocricy Unmasked in Voucher Expansion
Writing in the Gainesville Sun, Alachua County School Board member Eileen Roy points to the numerous contradictions that school vouchers and their legislative enablers cannot resolve: These schools have little to no accountability and are not required to have certified teachers. As a taxpayer, I do not want my money diverted away from public schools. If parents want their children to attend a pri
Meet the New FCAT, Same as the Old FCAT
Sunshine State News reporter Allison Nielson writes of FCATs last year with a paradox: “Parting is such sweet sorrow — sort of.” And also this: After a dramatic drop in FCAT writing scores in 2012, the State Board of Education altered Florida’s grading formula to assess schools on the percentage of students whose essays earned a 3 or better. In 2011, the formula last year graded schools on the per
APR 17
United Front in Jacksonville Opposes Field Test Folly
From Denise Smith Amos in the Florida Times-Union: Decrying what they call an untested test, leaders in Duval schools and teachers union — and some parents — urged voters Wednesday to flood state legislators’ phones and emails this week, urging them to slow down on some of the punitive aspects of the state’s new tests. Duval teachers union president Terrie Brady, three school board members and Su
APR 16
Dockery: Senate Should Let Voucher Expansion Die
Writing in her hometown newspaper, the Lakeland Ledger, former republican state senator Paula Dockery makes the clear case why voucher expansion cannot be intellectually be defended: Opponents of voucher expansion make a valid argument. Students attending private schools are not subjected to high-stakes tests. The schools are not required to hire certified teachers or to comply with the overabun
APR 13
Inside the Politics of Florida’s Voucher War: Weatherford vs. Gaetz
The editors of the Tampa Bay Times conclude: The Senate wisely tabled its bill weeks ago, and noticeably missing from the House bill is the one thing Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, had suggested would be his priority: better assessment of voucher recipients’ learning. The current process for such accountability pales in comparison to the machinations public schools undergo. Private schoo
Rick Scott’s 2012 FCAT Rankings Show Poverty Matters
Ocala Star-Banner editor Brad Rogers remind his readers of Rick Scott’s ill-fated 2012 release of FCAT rankings by district, and he’s not attempted that stunt since. Scathing Purple Musings speculated that the decision was a strictly political one and a response to California governor Jerry Brown’s turn-down on high-stakes tests. So why hasn’t Scott released the ranks again? Maybe it’s because the
APR 12
Teach for America Bringing Illegal Immigrants to Teach in Denver Classrooms
From KUSA NBC reporter Nelson Garcia: DPS is working with Teach for America to bring in people with an official status of “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” as determined by the federal government. Part of the requirements for DACA status is that a person must have been brought to the United States under the age of 16 and have a clean criminal record. Even with DACA status, they are still no