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I have to agree with Momma_bear regarding the low standards in Broward schools. At least at the school were I worked at, the focus was on lower performing students. I asked the principal if there was an incentive to increase a level 4 student to a level 5 and she said no.
Marjory Stoneman Doulgas High in Parkland is in the top 200 in the Country and it's a public school.
Now...I believe the main reason why there are no great schools in poor areas might be related to the fact that the schools are partially funded by its own city taxes, i.e. property taxes, therefore...higher property taxes more money for the schools. But I might be wrong.
Gosh I love this forum! Very informative and I can take something from everyone here. I am a midwest transplant and my daughter was in school for just a month before she had to take the FCAT. Time will tell how that all pans out. One thing I want to mention is regardless of school-lets not underestimate parental involvement!!! (I don't question that all of us on here are involved with with our kids as we come here to seek more options!). However- My daughter was transfered in to 3rd grade the first week in Feb. and she was the only kid in her class to complete the FCAT explorer practice online. Don't get me wrong- I do not agree with what the FCAT however- I am going to do everything I can to set my children up for success, and that meant shewas going to practice online per teachers' recommendations. I had a conference with my son's 1st grade teacher and she said he was the only kid in the class to fill up his homework sticker chart every week. Since when was homework an option?? I sit at the table with him and make sure he comprehends what he is doing and make sure he is doing it neat-- if I don't like it it gets done over. I hold my kids to a very high standard and with that I get the results I want from them. Now I understand that this might not "work" for everyone but it's what works for us. I beleive you HAVE to go above and beyond- go out and do some learning on your own. Someone on here mentioned Low expectations= low achievement and although it sounds harsh- it is right on point.
I just want to interject here a little. Schools across the country have been teaching to test for many, many years. Even back when I was in school. I think I turned out pretty good LOL. I don't see that they are doing anything different here in NYC that they do in Florida. Maybe the parents play more of a part? I'm not sure, but I don't see that huge of a difference in the teachings of NY versus Florida. Would anyone like to show me the differences from other states as I would love to know them.
Nam - I saw that you wrote that Florida is way ahead in the teachings of your old school. I think there is something to be said for that too. I call it allowing a child to be just that a child. Don't get me wrong your child being intelligent is great. And i'm not an advocate of not stimulating kids. My point personally is when is it too much? I don't think 5th Graders need to know algebra and that is exactly what he was being taught last year. I was amazed that he understood it, but really, does he need it? Maybe i'm thinking a little backward, but I think kids just need to be kids and we have pleanty of very intelligent people who run the world who didn't read on a 4th grade level at 6.
Yes chelz too much of a good thing is well- not good and I struggle as a parent in finding the right balance. No matter what I am going to have high standards for my kids and I am always going to "push" them (I can't help it, it's my personality). However- they also have time for TV, they have time to play DS, they go outside and jump rope, and time to read a sports magazine and look at a pop magazine. At the end of the day it's all about what we value and our priorities- I just so happen to value education, healthy lifestyle, and learning "out of the box." And sometimes that means spending sunday morning looking for man-of-wars on the beach then coming home to learn that they are very poisonous and can sting after they have been dead a few days (OOPPS)!
Yes chelz too much of a good thing is well- not good and I struggle as a parent in finding the right balance. No matter what I am going to have high standards for my kids and I am always going to "push" them (I can't help it, it's my personality). However- they also have time for TV, they have time to play DS, they go outside and jump rope, and time to read a sports magazine and look at a pop magazine. At the end of the day it's all about what we value and our priorities- I just so happen to value education, healthy lifestyle, and learning "out of the box." And sometimes that means spending sunday morning looking for man-of-wars on the beach then coming home to learn that they are very poisonous and can sting after they have been dead a few days (OOPPS)!
Nice - I agree completely - my boys love to play their PS3 but Monday - Thursday - no games and limited TV! The great thing about living in Florida and what is awesome about the summers here in NYC is that their time on the PS3 is overshadowed by sports and just being outside! I love it. That is how I remember life being for me as a kid - I liked watching tv, but I preferred much more to be outside than inside!
I'm a teacher in Broward County and I'll tell you the problem.
The Curriculum is not the problem (but could be stronger), teachers are not the problem, students attitudes toward education is a problem, parents are partially a problem, accountability is a major problem.
If we teacher just taught the curriculum and doing what we know is best for our students, then technically they should be fine to pass the FCAT. But like someone else said, we are pressured to stop the curriculum to just do test prep and use test prep materials about 1 to 2 months before the test (which is a waste of time and the students and teachers are sick of it).
Now... the reason I say students attitudes are a problem, is because the have not been given real accountability for their efforts. Students don't turn in assignment, we are forced to accept the assignments late... they score poorly or don't do an assignment, we are asked not to record a grade less than a 50%. Students fail a course, they are given a packet at the end of the school years, and if they complete it (no matter how accurate it is) they are passed with a final grade of "D." And the students who are lazy and don't place any effort know they will just be pushed along.
So you can see why students do so poorly on the FCAT, but when they do, the first people attacked are the teachers. Why is that?
Parents are sometime an issue, because when teachers try to hold their students accountable for their poor performance, many parents will attack the teacher and harrass administrators until the students grade it changed or the student is moved to another class... same with behavior consequences, they are not taken seriously by students because many parents don't take them seriously. How many times have I heard... Sorrry but my child will not serve your detention because I can't pick him/her up. Administrators give in to these parents and force us to take back a detention or whatever consequence. (Of course not all parents are like this, but it seems to be a majority in Broward County... I guess it is a cycle of parents who are from the same system their child is attending). Also parents demand so much but don't want to pay taxes... another stupid Florida thing.
Now the state of Florida is passing a legislature where teacher pay is based solely on students performance on the FCAT. How stupid is this? When so much of their performance is based on many variable (administrators, politicials and their stupid policies in Florida, issues at home, poverty, resources, etc.)
Why aren't legislator pay based on perfomance... how well is the state of Florida doing as a whole? Teacher are already held accountable by the observation done by administrators on their teaching methods... trust me, if the teacher is the problem, the administrators of the school will address it.
I can tell you that if the legislature on Teacher Pay passes, Florida will be loosing quality teachers (including myself) and teachers from other states will be steering clear away from Florida.
I'm a teacher in Broward County and I'll tell you the problem.
The Curriculum is not the problem (but could be stronger), teachers are not the problem, students attitudes toward education is a problem, parents are partially a problem, accountability is a major problem.
If we teacher just taught the curriculum and doing what we know is best for our students, then technically they should be fine to pass the FCAT. But like someone else said, we are pressured to stop the curriculum to just do test prep and use test prep materials about 1 to 2 months before the test (which is a waste of time and the students and teachers are sick of it).
Now... the reason I say students attitudes are a problem, is because the have not been given real accountability for their efforts. Students don't turn in assignment, we are forced to accept the assignments late... they score poorly or don't do an assignment, we are asked not to record a grade less than a 50%. Students fail a course, they are given a packet at the end of the school years, and if they complete it (no matter how accurate it is) they are passed with a final grade of "D." And the students who are lazy and don't place any effort know they will just be pushed along.
So you can see why students do so poorly on the FCAT, but when they do, the first people attacked are the teachers. Why is that?
Parents are sometime an issue, because when teachers try to hold their students accountable for their poor performance, many parents will attack the teacher and harrass administrators until the students grade it changed or the student is moved to another class... same with behavior consequences, they are not taken seriously by students because many parents don't take them seriously. How many times have I heard... Sorrry but my child will not serve your detention because I can't pick him/her up. Administrators give in to these parents and force us to take back a detention or whatever consequence. (Of course not all parents are like this, but it seems to be a majority in Broward County... I guess it is a cycle of parents who are from the same system their child is attending). Also parents demand so much but don't want to pay taxes... another stupid Florida thing.
Now the state of Florida is passing a legislature where teacher pay is based solely on students performance on the FCAT. How stupid is this? When so much of their performance is based on many variable (administrators, politicials and their stupid policies in Florida, issues at home, poverty, resources, etc.)
Why aren't legislator pay based on perfomance... how well is the state of Florida doing as a whole? Teacher are already held accountable by the observation done by administrators on their teaching methods... trust me, if the teacher is the problem, the administrators of the school will address it.
I can tell you that if the legislature on Teacher Pay passes, Florida will be loosing quality teachers (including myself) and teachers from other states will be steering clear away from Florida.
You couldn't have said it better! One of my biggest pet peeves is kids being perpetually tardy. This is one where I have to say "shame on you" to the parents! Ultimatley it is our responsibility to make sure we wake up our kids and get them out the door? And if waking up at time "a" isn't working wouldn't you try a plan "b?" If being to school on time daily is not a priority how can education as a whole be a priority? I'm always thing of Maslow's hierarcy of needs that us as parents should be providing for our kids to ensure our kids can succeed. It is amazing that there are so many kids not getting basic needs met- adaequate sleep, adequate meals, and yes-- getting to school on time is very basic.
I have been preaching responsibility, accountability,and consequenses since my kids were toddlers and I accept no BS so it is second nature for them. I provide them with their needs every day and then some and in turn they perform well-- every action has a reaction I always make it a point to use examples of alternative outcomes as well and they "get it." Parents- when we make things a priority, the kids will follow we are the number one people in their lives for a reason- let's not setthem up for failure
You couldn't have said it better! One of my biggest pet peeves is kids being perpetually tardy. This is one where I have to say "shame on you" to the parents!
Well-some of the teachers are to blame for this one. As a student teacher I was one of very few teachers that actually enforced consequences for tardiness to my classes. All I ever heard from students (and parents) is that "none of the other teachers assign detentions..." When I asked my administrators they said it was true, that the vast majority of the teachers do not assign consequences to students who are tardy to class. I can tell you that once students realized that there were consequences for being tardy to class most of them came to school on time. I allowed a few minute grade period in my first period class but NO GRACE PERIOD in any other classes after that.
The other thing that I noticed was an issue is school attendance in general. I had at least 25% absenteeism on any given day. That is a huge number. If a quarter of students are missing from school every day then each class becomes a massive "catch up" game for many students. It also slows down the progress of the students who are there, ready to learn, on a daily basis. In a musical ensemble (chorus) or an instrumental class (piano, guitar) that is a huge issue. We are not supposed to penalize a student for being absent, but in a class where the majority of the work is done in class, like music classes, that time is gone. I simply cannot be made up and it does affect a student's grasp of the material (as well as other students grasp of the material).
I worked really hard to finish my degree. I also love teaching and I love students. However, I have chosen NOT to seek a teaching position in Broward County as a result of what I observed while student teaching. I cannot see myself being part of such a dysfunctional system. Luckily, I have other employment options.
It was NOT the teachers that were the problem (IMO), yet teachers bear the brunt of the criticism. I do think the curriculum is an issue. Not the stated curriculum, but the ACTUAL curriculum, which leaves out anything that is not on FCAT and forces teachers to spend more time of test prep than actual instruction.
25% absenteeism??? My kids have to be bedritten to be absent from school- 2 absences a year tops it's usually stomach virus. It shouldn't surprise me- look at the absenteeism in the workforce in general. LOL. These kids are are in for a big surprise when they have to cope with the real world and someone is actually holding them accountable...
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