Statement by Gov Jeb Bush Re the 2002 FL Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) [and] School Grades

The FCAT exposes this, and the teacher's union hates it for that reason alone.

Thanks for your comments, FreeTally. I think students who are actually doing A-B should be able to pass that test. (Notwithstanding that thing called: grade inflation.)

Some teachers have told me they consider themselves to be terrible test-takers, and they do not feel confident teaching test-taking skills to students. My own belief is that teaching test-taking skills is like teaching everything else -- you'll learn even more about it as you teach it.

I read an article today in the Ft Myers News-Press online, and it sounded like McBride is toning down his rhetoric about Gov Bush, at least in print. It seems as if McBride is taking note of the bottom line, which is that FL voters do believe Gov Bush has devoted himself to education throughout his term -- not just in an election year, like Dem candidates, IMO. I'm wondering if the response by McBride, below, will continue:

The independent Mason-Dixon Poll ….Director Brad Coker said ….

Pollsters interviewed 625 residents statewide who vote regularly in Florida elections, from June 7 to 11. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The poll also showed that 67 percent of voters think Gov. Jeb Bush is committed to education, and 53 percent say he has made improving education a high priority. ...

"The reviews on his education program are mixed, but he [Gov Bush] does get credit for trying," Coker said.

Bush campaign spokesman Todd Harris [said]...the 41 percent who say education long term will improve is significant.

"The Democrats are trying to get the public to believe that Jeb Bush has not improved public schools," he said. "What the poll shows is that the public doesn't buy this."

Opponents disagreed.

"You can have a well-intentioned person who's just doing the wrong thing," said Bill McBride, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

This is the second time I can recall that he's agreed with Jeb. It's just to hurt Janet IMO. If it ended up being Jeb vs. McLaywer, then he'd really get nasty or if not, he's not much of a politician, is he? Too meek for the long haul.

I think McLawyer is using strategy to get him undecided voters who can't decide between him and Janet. If he says something that makes him sound like a nice guy, and Janet has never acted like a nice guy, it's McLawyer strategy.

I think you're right. It certainly caught my eye more than the usual bashing, but, on the other hand, he himself has little to say of interest. His campaign for gov has been one of the worst I've ever seen. In fact, I was thinking there should be an award for the worst gov campaign - so far that's a tight race, between McBride in FL and Cuomo in NY. McBride may win it though, in terms of the WORST CAMPAIGN.

Don't get me wrong, I love her to death. Unfortunately, she comes from a family of Jewish Democrats who made their careers in teaching.

She'll cancel out my vote this year, but she likes GW and will vote for him in '04.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

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