thuh same thung done did happin in my skoool.

1:45:20 p.m. on May 23, 2007
LOGAN SHEWMAKER | 05.23.07 - 1:50 pm | # |Report as offensive

Shows how unimportant this test really is.
What are they going to do pull out next year's fifth graders and make them repeat fourth grade?

2:16:18 p.m. on May 23, 2007
ROB FLYNN | 05.23.07 - 2:21 pm | # |Report as offensive

I'm shocked and appalled!

Actually, I'm not surprised at all. If you love your kids, you'll home school them, or at a minimum, pay for private school.

3:14:41 p.m. on May 23, 2007
PATRICK HENRY | 05.23.07 - 3:19 pm | # |Report as offensive

If you love your kids....

Frankly the problem does not affect the above average students..

3:25:33 p.m. on May 23, 2007
ROB FLYNN | 05.23.07 - 3:30 pm | # |Report as offensive

Test to easy, test to hard. We did not grade it correctly. Every year there is a different problem or excuse. Get rid of the stupid test. Go back to teaching students instead of teaching to a test. See what the teachers think about FCAT.

4:36:58 p.m. on May 23, 2007
DIRK DIGLER III | 05.23.07 - 4:41 pm | # |Report as offensive

Excuse me Patrick, If I love my kids.
I can not afford to home school or send them to private school, however I study with them and read to them and I am very involved in thier education. My 9yr old will be in advanced classes next year. Just because people don't have alot of money & privleges doesn't mean they don't love & care about thier children- what a stupid comment.

4:39:20 p.m. on May 23, 2007
G SANCHEZ | 05.23.07 - 4:44 pm | # |Report as offensive

I agree Dirk and G. Sanchez. Homeschooling and private schools are luxuries few can afford.What a ridiculous waste of time to rescore the test. Are they going to take back the money the schools received for earning an "A" ? We are holding children back in 3rd grade because of this test. If it isn't accurate, get rid of it.

6:06:15 p.m. on May 23, 2007
MIKE BERGEN | 05.23.07 - 6:11 pm | # |Report as offensive

To you "I can't afford it" people: How much is your monthly car payment?

I thought so...

Like I said, if you loved your kids more than leather seats, you could afford the $300/month that private school costs.

If the government gave a darn about you, they'd stop wasting $10k per year per student and let you shop for your own education.

8:21:27 p.m. on May 23, 2007
PATRICK HENRY | 05.23.07 - 8:26 pm | # |Report as offensive

More of the same dumb downed education practices. Forget teachers telling you about FCAT ,they value their jobs. Teachers do not have a choice,either teach to the test or do not teach. Here we go again penalizing the student for the ignorance of the adult. Parents cannot teach or help their students do homework as most teachers must be taught how to teach the curriculm. FCat the education boogie man. Even if your honor roll student passed did they really get it? One test one chance . The ability to retain students rest not with the state ,but rather an option given to the districts. Win if you can ,lose if you must, but always cheat! This you must do to get the money and bonuses. And our children lose! I have been telling parents for a long time to opt your kids out of the FCAT test. It is only mandatory in 10th grade. The secretcy around this test alone warrants parents to call for it`s demise. The federal gov.`t told the states to let parents see their child`s test and results,however the state lower courts still deny parents access to a test that may very well ruin your child`s desire for an education.

9:38:26 p.m. on May 23, 2007
GUY BARBER | 05.23.07 - 9:43 pm | # |Report as offensive

Patrick, a good Private school is MUCH more than 300.00 a month. I pay more than that to send my son to private preschool for 9 hours a week! The average private school is about 31.00 per day, which ends out to be approx 600.00 per month! Then on top of that.... They're all full! People could only wish that the government was spending 10k a year on each child, it's more like 2400! Which wouldn't even pay for half a year worth of private school.

7:42:38 a.m. on May 24, 2007
PAM JOHNSON | 05.24.07 - 7:47 am | # |Report as offensive

Pam, I'm sorry to say, but you're either an idiot, or sadly misinformed. If you knew how to use a calculator, and cared how your tax dollars are being spent, you would know they're spending in excess (that means "more than") $10k per year.

And if you knew how to look up numbers in the phone book, you would know private schools in town range from $200-600 per month. The $200/mo ones are very good - I've checked.

9:21:50 a.m. on May 24, 2007
PATRICK HENRY | 05.24.07 - 9:26 am | # |Report as offensive

patrick,
not to be a disagreeing type, but how many kids are in the classroom at the
$200/month school.
the economics of that set up seems suspect without some clarification.
john.

No car payment, live in a cardboard domicile, dresses child in old burlap sacks. address, fourth palm tree south of the inlet.

Never mock poverty unless you have had to pull your own tooth.

11:15:55 a.m. on May 24, 2007
LOGAN SHEWMAKER | 05.24.07 - 11:20 am | # |Report as offensive

patrick, 10 bucks says half the readers will believe the last two paragraphs were literal.

11:16:38 a.m. on May 24, 2007
LOGAN SHEWMAKER | 05.24.07 - 11:21 am | # |Report as offensive

My husband and I took our child out of 'government school' and we are by no means wealthy. we have sacrificed in so many areas so our son gets the education he deserves. His education is our responsibility and not the governments. we have kept our cars 10 plus years etc. so we can keep him in private school. Putting him in private school was the best thing we have ever done and will continue to make smart decisions and sacrifices to keep him in private school.

11:27:10 a.m. on May 24, 2007
DESIREE CHADWELL | 05.24.07 - 11:32 am | # |Report as offensive

other alternatives:
1. practice teaching your child a little bit at various places like:
the one minute at a stop light.
my next book title is: Everything I have learned at a stop light.
If you are PROACTIVE, you can have minilesson plans ready for various events that occur. If you are beside a truck with PVC pipesyou can talk about math in a ton of weighs (pun intended). Whereas if you are by an area with a lot of development you can discuss economics. The key is to PLAN TO TEACH in the one minute you have at most stop lights.
Your kids will remember this information in a deeper and more imaginative way than a lot of other info presented in a more sterile climate.

6:41:00 p.m. on May 24, 2007
LOGAN SHEWMAKER | 05.24.07 - 6:46 pm | # |Report as offensive

Mr. Barber, again you haven't a clue what you are talking about. First off, unless your child is out sick for the month before, during and after the FCAT, they will take it. There is no opting out in any grade. Even moderately handicapped students must take it. Secondly, you do not have to have a teaching degree to help your child with homework, although I do understand how YOU might have problems helping a child do their homework, or as you refer to it as Readin, Writin and Rithmetic

7:49:19 p.m. on May 24, 2007
MIKE BERGEN | 05.24.07 - 7:54 pm | # |Report as offensive

Also Mr. Barber, parents are given an ID number which they use to access their child's score from the state website, it is not a big secret kept from parents. Please stop givng out false and misleading info. You have no idea what you are talking about, and frankly you are an embarrassment to the community.

7:53:29 p.m. on May 24, 2007
MIKE BERGEN | 05.24.07 - 7:58 pm | # |Report as offensive

Logan,

I'm pretty familiar with some of the small Christian schools in town. The costs are kept low because the host church considers it a ministry (which it is). The teachers work for ridiculously low amounts of money (they also consider what they do a ministry), and the facilities usually aren't as nice as the government school behemoths.

When you aren't paying multiple levels of administration ridiculous amount of money to push papers around, it's amazing how cheaply you can run a school!

6:55:14 a.m. on May 25, 2007
PATRICK HENRY | 05.25.07 - 7:00 am | # |Report as offensive

Make the reading test in english instead of spanish and see how easy it is then.

1:37:15 p.m. on May 28, 2007
IMA DUMAS | 05.28.07 - 1:42 pm | # |Report as offensive