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Official's boycott of FCAT ignites furor
By THOMAS C. TOBIN LARGO -- Pinellas school officials are scrambling to control the fallout from last week's announcement by School Board member Mary Russell that her two children would boycott the upcoming FCAT exam. Several schools have been inundated with calls from parents wondering about the implications of skipping the test, which will be administered starting Monday. In response, the district has issued a letter that principals can send to parents outlining the potential pitfalls for those who would follow Russell's example. A boycott of any size could damage a school's grade, for example, and individual students would face certain hurdles depending on their level. Also, those who forgo the FCAT and want to enter magnet programs would have to pay for private testing. "We have been preparing for these important tests and feel our students are ready," the district's letter says in part. "Please plan for your child to be in attendance for the test." Schools superintendent J. Howard Hinesley said the issue has prompted a staff meeting today to discuss what other steps should be taken to communicate with parents about the exam. Russell said last week she made her decision as an individual, not as a School Board member. She said she was driving home a point and was not encouraging others to follow her lead. But her announcement has rekindled a vigorous debate in Pinellas and reached into other corners of the state. Among Russell's e-mails this week were messages of support from a School Board member in Escambia County and a parent from Seminole County. Among her phone messages was a local woman calling for her dismissal. On Tuesday, Russell's fellow board members voiced their positions. Board members Linda Lerner, Jane Gallucci and Mary Brown said they agreed with Russell that the FCAT puts too much pressure on teachers and students and should not be used to grade schools. But they emphasized that students should take the test and follow the law. The point would better be made in letters, e-mails and petition drives sent to Gov. Jeb Bush and state legislators, they said. Board member Lee Benjamin said the timing of the debate, on the eve of the test, was regrettable. And board member Nancy Bostock gave an impassioned defense of the FCAT, saying: "We spend over $1.2-billion in Pinellas County alone on public education. If we refuse to measure our results, how would you know if your tax dollars are spent wisely? ... How will we know if our children are being well educated?" Bostock added that she swore to uphold the law as a School Board member. Lerner agreed with honoring the oath, but said officials also have "a special ability" to speak out on issues. As for the FCAT, she said, "I will tell everybody it's the law: send your kids to school. But I will say, it's not the FCAT per se (that's bad). It's how it's being used ... One test can decide if a student graduates -- one test given at one time. The student may have only been in the school four months and maybe in 10th grade and it's going to go to grade a school? Ridiculous." State law says the FCAT, short for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, is mandatory. But except for certain instances, there are no real consequences for those who don't participate. Tenth-graders must pass the FCAT before they graduate if they want a standard diploma, but they get several chances to do so. Generally, third-graders must pass the FCAT reading exam to advance to fourth grade. But students have two other options for demonstrating reading ability. One is a reading test used for national comparisons; the other is a portfolio assembled by school officials that demonstrates reading ability.
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