Florida Passes Plan for Racially-Based Academic Goals

[katmondoo]

The Education Board says it wants 90% of Asian students, 88% of White students, 81% of Hispanic students and 74% of Black students to be proficient at reading and math at or above grade level by 2018. It also measures other groupings such as poverty and disabilities. This is infuriating many community activists in Palm Beach County and across the state. I think it is beyond disgusting. How will the teachers do this. Separate the kids in classrooms by group? So many problems could arise I that are too numerous to mention. Florida is one sick Republican state.

[xchrom]

1. Shit. Nt

[Igel]

2. The old goals were 100%.

They weren't realistic.

In my district the #s would be something like 96%, 96%, 82%, and perhaps 75% for Asian/white,Latino, black. 2018's probably too long a time frame. Then again, the Florida numbers are average teacher expectations and are a significant increase over current achievement numbers.

In many cases, just pointing out the average achievement numbers riles people up.

Setting everything at 100% means I'd be expected to have my "average" black student go from about 70% in math up to grade level% in one year. That's yanking them up something like 3-4 grade levels while teaching the 90% of the other students. Not going to happen. Not reasonable. I have to work like a dog to pitch everything to the level kids and also find a way to make it accessible to those years behind the curve. It's like teaching two different classes (at least) in the same classroom and it's disruptive if it's not managed perfectly. I'm not what you'd call perfect.

(Problem is that I have no average black students. My black students are middle or upper-middle class, usually the children of African immigrants, and on paper they're "white". Or they're low SES AA students, and if I could get them to average 65% in my class I'd celebrate.)

[etherealtruth]

3. What are the goals for those "*pesky" bi-racial/ multi-racial kids?

(*as the mother of bi-racial children I say this sarcastically)

[FarCenter]

4. Just do a weighted average of the percentages

But why are kids not proficient at a grade level in the grade?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Our citizens are not Republicans.

At least not Republican dominated. Exhibit A is our most recent electoral results.

Our legislature and governor are. The miracles of gerrymandering.