Join Us and Demand and FCAT Timeout Now! As a Southwest Florida parent and researcher for FCAT-timeout.org, I have been to many meetings these last several weeks; including PTA, SAC, BOE Common Core workshop, BOE regular meeting, all in Lee County, and a Pro/Con CC Forum in Charlotte County to learn the answer to one question. "How can our children be expected to pass the FCAT this spring while they are being taught and prepped to test on the very different content of the new "Go Math" CC textbooks of our blended curriculum this year; and how will their results affect our students, teachers, and schools?" Here is what I have learned: I was told that the FCAT will be given this spring unless the state Board of Education would say differently, and no one could say how it will affect our children, teachers, or schools. Most responders told me that the question had never come up, but that they were sure the state would address it "in due time". A board member at the BOE regular meeting did tell me that she would look into it, and she arranged for me to meet with a representative after the meeting. It was interesting that the representative, whom she had directed me to speak with, had never seen the backside of the 5th grade "Go Math" homework that is titled “PARCC prep test”. She was unaware. When I asked her how other children had done in the pilot test, she was silent. With all of the recent political bantering and discussion over the pros and cons of Common Core, the children have been forgotten. It was also interesting to me that there were very few, if any parents or teachers at any of the meetings I attended. I, like many of you, would like to see the FCAT dropped this year. There are many other assessment tests our children are taking, with less high-stakes, which could be used this year to assess our children’s knowledge. It will take all of us to make this change. Our children are depending on us. Governor Scott’s recent action to call for a withdrawal from PARCC does not change the State of Florida’s commitment to move forward with Common Core, it only provides the state more time to decide which test will replace the FCAT 2.0. It has not been determined when that decision will be made, so until an unknown future date our children will be taught and prepped to test for the PARCC while they are given the FCAT each spring. We are launching the “FCAT Timeout” Facebook page and FCAT-timeout.org website before they are fully completed because this cannot wait. In the coming days we hope to add more links, comment sections, and a “call to action” center. In the meantime, please join us and become active in the change you want to see in our children’s educational system. Please talk with other parents, teachers, people in your community, and contact our educational and government leaders to share knowledge and demand an FCAT timeout. Please post information on our sites, offer suggestions, ask questions, and please be patient as we grow. We are a nonpartisan group and we do ask that you respect this and leave the political arguing to the politicians while we look out for our children. We look forward to hearing from you! Our children only have one childhood and it is happening right now! fcat-timeout.org
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 14:56:20 +0000
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