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by rlynne from Bartow

Last Post 105 days, 17 hours Ago


FCAT Battle: Teachers:1 - Students:0
Jul 7, 2008 | 7:15 AM
Category: News
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Finally a change in the FCAT policy!  Although, as usual - students will not benefit from the change!  

It seems our wonderful administrators have taken a look at the amount of stress which the FCAT places on students, and amazingly this stress may actually cause our kids to be so worked up that it is causing them to have lower scores.  You think? 

So as a band-aid to the problem they are removing some of the guidelines restricting money flow based on student scores. Wake up Florida, do they want us to think that by no longer using FCAT scores to grade school performance that it will lower the stress rate among the kids, giving them a better chance at succeeding on the test?  No, it goes back to money again, they have realized that regardless of how much money they spend trying to "teach the FCAT", overall scores are not improving in ration to dollars spent. But, this is their way of trying to "fix" the situation to make themselves look consumer friendly.

So great, score one for the teachers who now can breathe a sigh of relief temporarily.  But, what about the kids.  Do you think they care one bit that FCAT scores equalled dollars for their school?  No, they only understand that for six months out of the year FCAT is all they hear and no one is changing any policies for them.  Their personal stress level will never decrease until the FCAT goes away!

Why can't we just go back to teaching all subjects for 180 days per year, and let the teachers evaluate whether or not our kids deserve to move on to the next grade?

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Member Comments Total Comments: 14
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JANICELPED read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 5:15 PM

Because they don't want to make it easy for our kids that's why. It really makes me mad that they judge all students by the same test and no student learns the same way. Some students find learning easy so for them this is no problem but for a student that has a problem in math or english or science they have to struggle to pass this test and it's just not fair. Students should be tested on things they need to survive in the real world not what they think ALL kids should understand. That's not realistic it's just stupid!
rlynne read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 6:16 PM

You are so very right, they don't want all students to acheive, because then we would all be on a fair playing field in this world. And we can't have that now can we?

This issue hits home for me very strongly, for I have children who do very well in class, but they are not test takers and never have been. Therefore, each year they are lucky to score a 2 on the FCAT, yet their end of year GPA's were 3.5. It totally baffles me and frustrates me greatly!

I have said it before, all the FCAT does is set a student up to fail. And this is extremely stupid on the part of our leader's, since our graduation rate in this country is only 68% and in some areas it is severely lower than that. What can they be thinking?
leasheryn read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 6:36 PM

Children should be taught all subjects in school and not just a test. They cannot learn this way which is obvious when the results of the FCAT prove just that.
Teach the children properly and in a way that doesn't put pressure and stress into their lives and they will start to achieve again.
rlynne read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 7:06 PM

Exactly my point, but how do we make anyone who matters listen to us. Our state has received huge buget cuts, wouldn't it make sense to stop something that isn't working, even if you do it for the money and not the kids - which we know money is the only motivation they understand. Just imagine how much money could be saved just by deleting the FCAT program alone.
JANICELPED read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 7:34 PM

No one is ever gonna listen to us because in their minds they think they know what is best for every child. My oldest son was great in school but as soon as you said the word test he just froze. My youngest son is mildly autistic so who knows what they will expect from him. It really worries me but I have no idea what to do about it. I still say that half the crap they teach most of them will never use. I have to admit half of what I learned in school has never been useful to me in the real world because I'm a housewife and a mother. I used to teach kindergarten. I can understand it if you're gonna be a Dr. or a lawyer or a goverment worker but what does a normal person need to know half this stuff for anyway?
Gary3088 read my blog
Jul 7, 2008 | 7:55 PM

If any of you bloggers have seen my past blogs, you all know how much of a fan I am of this stupid FCAT test. It was probably written by a bunch of yeay-hoos all with PhD's and have no clue on what real test taking is all about. They saw the money factor and then could not see past that point.

My point in this matter is, just like I have said many times before, the schools are too busy teaching the test and not the actually school subject that the kids need to get into and survive in college and subsequently, in the real world. My kids can not put a complete sentence together to save themselves. Some of the teachers that I have talked to just do not care. A few will actually say to Hell with the FCAT and teach the subjects that they were hired to do. But, they are far and few between.

Since everything revolves around money, and I did not have to work in order to survive, I would pull my kids out of this public school system and home school the kids myself. It seems that I have to do that pretty much anyway. The kids today can not count money, most can not tell time by a face clock, need I continue?

The FCAT and all the yeay-hoos with their PhD's aren't going to get my kid a job when they turn 18 or get out of college. I should ask the Florida State government for a refund of my tax dollars! lol.
tazzesmom read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 8:19 AM

I've said this for years.... The only people that should be able to sit on the school boards are parents that acutally have children in public schools and live in the county they are on the board for. This way they will acutally address the issues that pertain to the kids and what is in their best interest.
rlynne read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 11:39 AM

I agree totally with you tazz, unfortunately it can never happen since our politicians wouldn't get to line their pockets with the dollars our kids aren't getting for public education.

But, it is sad to say that in this day and time I am not sure you could even find enough parents who would be willing to give their time to sit on the board if it were possible.

I know first hand. I work for a non-profit youth agency which is totally supported by volunteers, and to be honest there just isn't a rally among parents any more to spend the extra time for their kids extracurricular activities. They can't, with the cost of everything rising every day no one has any extra time to volunteer because they are working two jobs just to make ends meet. What a vicious circle we live in!
tazzesmom read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 12:24 PM

Rlynne,

I understand and completely agree. I have been a scout leader in my son's troop for 10 years, have assisted and participated in numerous fund raising activities for scouts, school, band. In addition to cancer, juvenile diabetes, aspca, heart disease, etc walk a thons, too many to count. Unfortunately the ones that care don't have the time and the ones that have the time to sit on the boards don't really care and the end result in that kids don't win....
leasheryn read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 6:22 PM

It seems there is too much concern for the money aspect than for the children to actually learn anything. There is no point in the FCAT and no point in teaching it when the children are leaving the schools sadly uneducated. There are alot of subjects that should be taught but are being neglected because there is such a tremendous focus on a test that has no real end result.
Focus on education, not a test!!
59Cadillac read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:37 PM

I pulled my kids out of public school and home schooled them for Junior High School. When you home school your children you actually have very stringent guidelines to follow including year end testing to make sure they are "on grade". My daughter tested out at 12th grade level when she entered High School 9th grade. I would say that if I could go back I would have continued to home school through High School as well because I think we accomplished more with my curriculum than with the public school system curriculum.

Teaching specifically to a TEST is just not a good idea. And I've always thought that if students fail a TEST it is not a reflection on the student who is a captive audience but rather a reflection on the instruction given. If students fail then the system needs to be modified to accomodate the various ways to communicate information. Many people learn by demonstration others by explanation and still others by reading instructions. We are all different and different avenues are needed to educate us. And yes, parents must minimize the luxuries in order to afford to put in the time with their children. It simply is a must.
rlynne read my blog
Jul 9, 2008 | 10:06 AM

I thank you all for your heartfelt opinions. I feel so strongly against FCAT that I am going to send this page to the powers that be. It may not do a bit of good, but I think it is time to start squeaking and see if we can get a little grease. Good luck to us all!
aschelan read my blog view my photos
Jul 9, 2008 | 5:32 PM

My son, a darling third grader in Pasco county, has all the letter attached to his school record. He has an EIP and an IEP, he is considered ESE and 504. He qualifies for a different bus than the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. He is in a smaller class room, becuase of attention issues, with his 504 he qualified for taking the FCAT differently than the rest of the students in his school. He got longer to take the test and extra breaks.
With a caring teacher and a lot of work at home, he is a got B and Cs on his final report card. Those are passing grades!!! Yet, even with the extras he got, he bombed the FCAT, scoring lower than his kindergarten sister in reading, and the boy who LOVES MATH, barely scored within range. So now he is in summer school, being taught solely the FCAT, which he will get to take again on the 23rd. Then I get to wait AGAIN, to see if he makes it to 4th grade, or if he gets to repeat 3rd grade with his other sister. To me, the FCAT is nothing but a waste of time, a waste of my money, and a summer full of headaches.

Question, has anyone heard of the SAT10 test?
JANICELPED read my blog
Jul 10, 2008 | 2:18 PM

Because my son is mildly autistic he dosn't take the same level FCAT test that the other students take now so I have no idea how much different this test is than the normal one. What I do know is that as much as I love my son I know that he is by no means able to take the regular test because he's just not able to understand the things that a normal child can do. I have seen other students in my sons class that are not as able to understand as well as he is so how can they test a child that isn't what they consider "normal"? It dosn't mean he stupid. He has a learnig disability. How do they test these children? THEY AREN'T LIKE OTHER CHILDREN
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rlynne

Typical Libra who chooses to look at both sides of story before forming an opinion.

Member Since: 2/19/2008


 

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