I think the school board directors went to school in our district.

I was talking to one of my teachers from last year, and she is pissed because of this new guy on the school board and the ridiculous things he's doing. All teachers in the county have to teach from the same syllabus, reach the same "benchmark goals" and follow the same class objectives, which have to be written on the board at the beginning of each class. If I were her, I would be mad, too...she's an amazing teacher, and she has to compromise that because of a stupid socialist district rule.

Really, doesn't this seem socialist to you? They make every teacher teach the exact same thing at the exact same time, bringing horrible teachers up to average and amazing teachers down to average. If a teacher is horrible, why not let them go? Am I totally naive about this?

A large number of students can't pass FCAT, the simple standardized test that evaluates basic math and reading skills. Their solution is to prep the kids more for FCAT, completely de-emphasizing actual learning in exchange for rote memorization of five-paragraph essay structure, the hunt-and-find technique, and filling in bubble grids.

Way to go, Florida. And here's a shout-out to the freshie on the school board for the brilliant idea. Does the new English syllabus have irony on it?

Love,
Juliana