FL kindergarten teacher stands up to testing, FLDOE listens. No K-2 testing for now.

[madfloridian]

They are going to evaluate the situation. Maybe speaking out really does make a difference sometimes, even if we don't realize it.

Kindergarten teacher: ‘There is a good possibility I will be fired but…’

Susan Bowles sent a letter to the parents of her kindergartners.

She points out that K teachers evaluate and test already, just not the high stakes kind. She describes some of what is now required.

• FAIR testing – We have given the FAIR assessment in the past but this year it was revamped. It does provide useful information, but nothing significantly superior to what a typical kindergarten teacher would observe in her students. This year, it is more time consuming and more difficult. Kindergartners are required to take it on the computer using a mouse. (While testing a child last week, she double-clicked which skipped a screen. This little girl double-clicked three times and triple-clicked once. There is no way for the teacher to go back. Neither is there a way for the school administrator to go back and make a correction.) While we were told it takes about 35 minutes to administer, we are finding that in actuality, it is taking between 35-60 minutes per child. This assessment is given one on one. It is recommended that both teacher and child wear headphones during this test. There is no provision from the state for money for additional staff to help with the other children in the classroom while this testing is going on. If you estimate that it takes approximately 45 minutes per child to give this test and we have 18 students, the time it takes to give this test is 13 ½ instructional hours. If you look at the schedule, a rough estimate would be that it requires about one full week of instructional time to test all of the children. Our kindergarten teachers have been brainstorming ways to test and still instruct. The best option we have come up with is for teachers to pair up, with one teacher instructing two classes while the other teacher tests one-on-one. So now we are looking at approximately two weeks of true instructional time lost, because we cannot teach our curriculum, pulling small groups and targeting each child’s educational needs. FAIR testing is done three times a year.

*THIS IS THE TESTING I AM REFUSING TO DO. I KNOW I MAY BE IN BREACH OF MY CONTRACT BY NOT ADMINISTERING THIS TEST. I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SUBMIT TO ADMINISTERING THIS TEST THREE TIMES A YEAR, LOSING SIX WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION. THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY I WILL BE FIRED.

A Florida parent, teacher, activist posts the letter from Bowles' superintendent.

From @gatorbonBC

Teacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #Florida

If you think that you can’t make a difference, think again.

One teacher refuses and within a week, the Florida DOE responds.

K-2 Fair testing is suspended, statewide.

Nice. Thank you, Susan Bowles, Alachua County teacher, for taking a stand.

Way to go, Alachua County. Ya’all make a Gator proud.

#Chomp

She includes the letter her superintendent wrote.



And to their credit, the Florida Department of Education paid attention.

Florida suspends a controversial exam as debate widens over school testing

Education commissioner Pam Stewart ended the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading, known as the FAIR test, in kindergarten through second grade. In its place, teachers will observe children's reading abilities in a more informal setting than the online exam, which recently suffered glitches.

Stewart announced the change in a memo to superintendents.

"It's amazing," said Susan Bowles, the Alachua County kindergarten teacher whose widely publicized refusal to administer FAIR this fall sparked the state's move. "I am very grateful that they have seen that the test was not a good thing for children."

Unlike other tests, FAIR is used solely to monitor students' progress and has no impact on school grades or funding. But Bowles and other advocates expressed hope that the next step would be a wider discussion about testing in Florida schools.

..."She took a real act of courage," said Bob Schaeffer of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. "Sometimes you need that person to say, 'I won't cross that line, I won't get off your bus, I won't administer your test.'"

[Metatron]

1. This is encouraging

Thanks for posting this.

[daleanime]

2. Good.....

it's a start.

[AuntPatsy]

3. Gives one hope

[madfloridian]

14. Yes, it does.

But such a long way to go with no one in DC listening.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. The test provides materials that Kindergarteners won't even see until the first grade.

It's stupid, really.

[Generic Other]

5. Proof that a few mad school teachers

can make a difference -- maybe stop the abuse of our children by the hugely profitable educational testing companies.

[madfloridian]

13. Yes, so true.

[Starry Messenger]

6. k&r

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

7. In Texas, we had to give individual reading tests, requiring us to ignore the rest of our class

and the results were not very useful. It was just one more week of testing taken out of the school year. There was not much time left to teach. Since I've retired and opened my own tiny school at home, I haven't given a single test, but I can tell you exactly how well each of my students is doing.

I visited a school in Sweden while at a family reunion. They didn't start school until the age of seven, didn't take a single test until the age of eleven and they are not dummies. (What I liked most about the visit was the lack of top heavy administration; the principal was in charge of three school.)

[madfloridian]

12. Yes, you are so right about knowing what the students are doing.

And where they are at any given time in regard to learning. Good teachers know.

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

16. You and Diane Ravitch are my heroes.

Thank you for keeping us relentlessly informed.

[madfloridian]

20. .....

Kind words, thank you.

[AllyCat]

8. Yeah! We don't test until third grade in WI

Except for those of us opting out.

[kmlisle]

9. Wonderful!!!

This is my home county in Florida. I am so proud of this brave teacher. I also know the state commissioner and she comes from a teaching background in the district I taught in for 20 years. Do you really think a Broad trained administrator who never worked in a public school classroom would have done this? Or an inexperienced TFA teacher with 5 weeks of prep for teaching and if you are a Harvard grad very likely no public school education life experience?

Another reason for tenure - this is what teachers have to be able to do in order to make sure their classroom provides the very best educational opportunities for children - and being fired at will does not enable you to do this. A perfect example of what tenure is for and why so many premises of corporate school reform are so wrong!

Thank you Mad!

[madfloridian]

10. It was really good to see this.

And very surprising, too.

[kmlisle]

19. I agree but have found that the Florida Dept of Ed staff are really dedicated to education

I was on the writing committee for science standards back in 08 and worked with them for a year and they were very professional and supported the work of the committees extremely well.

The top position of commissioner can be politically influenced and has been, to the embarrassment of our wonderful legislators several times recently. But the staff that work for the political appointees are mostly people who have actually worked in public education. The present commissioner was a teacher and then administrator in the public school system not a political ringer brought in to push far right approaches to education as were the embarrassing two brief appointees before her.

Here is her bio:
Commissioner Stewart began teaching in Hillsborough County in 1975 before moving to Marion County where she spent 25 years in education. She rose from Ward-Highlands Elementary School teacher in 1981 to guidance counselor then district testing and research specialist, assistant principal, then principal, first at Reddick-Collier Elementary in 1996 and then at Vanguard High School in 2000.

[ancianita]

11. Hell, yes. A real and true professional.

[liberal_at_heart]

15. K&R

[madfloridian]

17. Kick.

[questionseverything]

18. happy k&r

i encourage everyone to send copies of this article to their local school board members

[progressoid]

21. Good news for a change.