Between the two Bush brothers–George W. and Jeb–the nation’s education system is locked into a regime of endless testing, grading, evaluating, marking, measuring, etc.
It doesn’t seem to get us very far. After all, Texas has been in this business for as long as anyone can remember–was it the mid-80s?–and folks there are still complaining about failing schools.
And Texas is not # 1 anyway, Massachusetts is.
Florida is supposedly the model state, because it started giving grades to all its schools and closing the ones with low marks, and opening charters.
But it turns out that there are lots of failing charters
And again, Florida is not #1. Massachusetts is.
Coach Bob of Florida brings us up to the date on Florida’s nutty accountability system.
Think about it.
What corporation would be proud that it had created a quality-control system that made its employees demoralized and angry?
If this is a business model, it’s bad business. Or monkey business.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Sadly, the final goal is to get rid of the demoralized, angry teachers and replace them with cheap, young non-union people. I think that that, is the intent. Sad to say.
correct!
The entire Florida accountability system is one big scam where one data report conflicts with another data report and then the data wizards at the FLDOE will fix the cut scores to make the data resemble whatever they want it to. As a teacher in Dade County who still has not received a value added score for a test that was taken last April, nor a completed evaluation for 2011-12 because the entire result is basically determined by a VAM ranking, I can personally attest to the scam. I sent ten emails to different district and state almighty data controllers about how I could access my personal value added ranking, and not one person would respond in an email. I filed a request for public records and am waiting to see if they release any details. I am supposed to be “data driven” but I don’t even have the right to see the data that will ultimately determine my evaluation and whether I get to keep my job or am eligible for a raise. You can see the actual FLDOE reports on my blog and draw your own conclusions about the bogosity. It’s obvious. Even a fifth grader can see it. http://kafkateach.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/is-the-florida-department-of-education-smarter-than-a-fifth-grader
Don’t leave the Old North State out! We’ve had high stakes VAT since the 80’s as well. Yay us…
Race To The Top has now brought it to our Eval system …
correct again!
How would have ever guessed the G.W. would be looked at as brighter than Jebbie?
Darn auto correct got me again. S/b WHO would have guessed.
i am a 20 year veteran teacher in florida. i have never seen the joy sucked out of teaching as i have this school year. i continue to be me and do it my way – which has led to disciplinary action. but i will continue to be me.
children need to learn, not learn how to fill in the bubbles. my school had 74% of students reading at level 3 or better (on the fcat). we are an A rated school. in my universe, 74% = C. how to lie with statistics…sigh.
Mass is Number 1, according to the ranking system Diane wants to use. Would it be useful to point out that Boston has an extensive system of teacher developed “pilot school” options and the state has a number of chartered public schools?