Monday, August 26, 2013

The Florida education summit, recap day 1: Usual suspects meet to kneecap education

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart leads a discussion at the opening day of the education summit Monday.

Look at the picture; it is from the Florida’s education summit happening in Clearwater. What they couldn’t find anymore-rich old white guys? I do see one back guy in the picture, ironically enough sitting in the back.

There are obvious problems in education, if there wasn’t then why are we having this summit? My question then is why are the same people that drove us off the road and into the ditch the same ones at the summit. Now there are a few faces but for the most part there are a lot of the usual suspects, people who would like to drown public education and profit off our children there too.

This is Rita Solnets observations: It's seems clear to me that the following is the outcome the leaders of this education summit are looking for - they're driving the meeting this way:

1) Dump PARCC assessments entirely
2) Re-confirm their support for Common Core though (political reasons)
3) Write all new assessments for FL (no doubt driving business to Pearson)
4) Endorse and reiterate that FL has a terrific accountability system - "we are the leaders!"
5) Reconfirm and support Florida's Grading system

Oh, yes, and don't ask silly questions about students or learning or achievement gaps.

More of the same friends, more of the same.