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Respectfully, I think Jeb is trying to make the right moves in education, but thus far he has been unconvincing. Perhaps it is his advisors.

The FCAT is a joke - funding for a school is tied to a one-day test. Schools even call up the brightest students to make sure they will be present for the FCAT.

Jeb is head and shoulders about his competition, I think with the right advisors, he will improve Florida's low education rank!

[summer]

Thanks for your post #9. I appreciate your comments.

Funding is not tied to simply the results of a test. The grade of a school does not determine its funding -- however, schools that improve do receive bonus money to spend however they choose, while schools that fail do receive additional funds in a much more structured scenario.

I can understand what you are saying: that you do not want a test to determine all.

The number of students who take the test (as some schools will purposely suspend their worse students during testing week), and the learning gains made by students (a new measure) also count in a school's grade.

While any test does increase the pressure on a teacher and on students, I would just say this: if a kid wants to get into law school, or medical school, or a wide variety of other institutions someday, guess what? The kid has to take a test. No one follows you around for a year to find out if you'd actually make a good lawyer despite your low score on the LSAT.

In addition, kids have to take and pass tests for driver licenses, boating licenses, etc. When you deal with testing in a larger sense, students appreciate the practice they are getting for many other tests to come in life -- and, none of such tests will be eliminated any time soon.

But, I still appreciate your comment here. :)