Information

[tinkerbelldani]

Today they might sign a bill in Florida stating that the teachers' salary will be determined on their kids' FCAT scores.....like there isn't enough stress with that test and now this.....what a joke..... Who comes up with these brilliant ideas maybe is time for a change in Tallahassee

[Flasher]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

[shayla_rose]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

ITA! couldn't have said it better so I will just quote you lol!

[tinkerbelldani]

I don't know what is going to happen...it is so crazy.

[LyndaKay]

Our votes are powerful! Maybe that's the only way to change these crazy laws.

[mkcdaisy]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

Yeah but these days the problem is they can't "teach" all they do is prepare them for these test and I think it stinks. Some kids are not good test takers and then tell them that if they don't pass they can't move to the next grade and see what happens to the test stills then. They test stink like a big smelly gym sock IMO.

[Kimandasmo]

I think it is....this is the most ridiculous thing I have seen a while.

[Flasher]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

Yeah but these days the problem is they can't "teach" all they do is prepare them for these test and I think it stinks. Some kids are not good test takers and then tell them that if they don't pass they can't move to the next grade and see what happens to the test stills then. They test stink like a big smelly gym sock IMO.

I agree. Teachers have to spend almost all of their time on the "test" that they no longer have the time to help those who might be struggling. They are forced to move things along in accordance with the tests. I think it's sad.

[AnnOminous]

What about the teachers that are teaching the remedial math and english classes? They have the students with the lowest chance of passing the test to begin with. They are going to get fired every year! Soon nobody will agree to teach those classes.

[naney1952]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

Yeah but these days the problem is they can't "teach" all they do is prepare them for these test and I think it stinks. Some kids are not good test takers and then tell them that if they don't pass they can't move to the next grade and see what happens to the test stills then. They test stink like a big smelly gym sock IMO.

I agree. Teachers have to spend almost all of their time on the "test" that they no longer have the time to help those who might be struggling. They are forced to move things along in accordance with the tests. I think it's sad.

This is so so true. The teachers are testing more than they are teaching. So if your child is slower at catching on to something.....oh well.....all the state says is you have to meet the standards. The state has put so many requirements on the teachers. One which I think is absolutely crazy is they have to record the test scores in six different areas....you know how much time that takes?! When do they even have time to spend with a student who needs help? Sorry I see this day in and day out being a substitute teacher.

[scrappininAK]

that's totally ridiculous

[JulesinParadise]

The whole bill is a joke. Who in the world can believe you can hold teachers solely responsible for all children learning. What ever happened to holding parents responsible for their children too?

I had some of the greatest, most involved parents when I taught and their kids did the best they could because their parents instilled in them that education was important; that knowledge was to be valued and that younger people should respect those older than them. Not all of these kids were A students as I taught the "at-risk" kids for quite some time but they tried their best.


I taught high school for almost 30 years and the last five were tough...I can't tell you how many parents threatened to sue me if I didn't pass their children even though the children did little or no homework, admitted to using someone else's papers instead of writing their own and were caught cheating on tests. I was told that students should be given more chances and to allow them to retake tests, rewrite papers and to give them a provisional grade of passing. Yet if these children don't do well on the state test, I'd lose my job?

ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL INVOLVED!

My daughter is a second grade teacher here in Fl. and works her butt off for those kids...hours and hours of unpaid time in planning, taking classes etc. She is a Master Teacher according to national standards having spent a year documenting this and passing a national test. Florida is now cutting the funding to the program so she will no longer be able to mentor other teachers who want to improve as well. She knew teaching was hard work for low pay but her salary here has been frozen for two years now. While the FCAT is not given at the second grade level, her friends teach grades where it is given and they work hard too...

This is such bull!

[Retiree3]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

[meteechtap]

wow, how can they even do that??!!! You cannot control how much they absorb or how much the parents help thier chid learn at home! Totally
not even workable in my opinion!

[lilkoala3]

Has No Child Left Behind been repealed yet?

[JulesinParadise]

Not to my knowledge. When I was teaching (I've been retired ten years now) it was called something else. We were told that every child in our classroom had the potential to be a brain surgeon and I started praying. Every child deserves to be offered the maximum education that they want or can handle but not everyone is or should be a brain surgeon...namely, ME.

[Art_Teacher]

This is one of the biggest problems with the whole education system, in my opinion. Teachers can only do their job - they teach. All of the teachers I know do the very best they can. There are many children with learning dissabilities, or in the alternative just no interest in learning. Penalizing teachers is only going to force more good teachers out of the profession, if you ask me.

Couldn't agree more! The idiots in government think things like this will make teachers better, more accountable, and improve performance. I think it will do the opposite...good teachers are going to leave in droves and those who have the makings to be good teachers will think twice before entering the profession! This is one of the reasons we need our teacher's union...to come back to an earlier debate.


I'm so sick and tired of people who know nothing about education treating it like it is a business. Students are not a product and they can't all be made to specification in the most efficient manner possible, while spending the least amount. Ridiculous!

[JillinIN]

That's crazy.

[grifscap]

It is all crazy.