FCAT is not the answer to education issues

Although the FCAT may have been initiated with the best of intentions, it should not be anything more than a tool used to identify opportunities for improvement. Many states use some form of comprehensive assessment test to determine the quality of education within the public school system. No test, especially the FCAT, is a better judge of academic performance than the teachers who work with a child.

It is an unfortunate reality that some districts, or some schools, may have weaknesses that could be identified by using an assessment test. The results should be to correct the deficiency. Actions such as fully staffing schools with aides and teachers, offering appropriate curriculum and enhanced resources should be employed for immediate educational improvement. Ideally, any comprehensive assessment would assure the highest level of education for all of the students in the system.

Unfortunately, the FCAT is not used to assess schools to improve the overall education in the system; it is used to measure individual abilities. Schools performing well will be rewarded; schools performing poorly will be punished. Likewise, students performing at or above grade level will succeed and graduate, while third-graders who fail face retention and seniors face getting no diploma, regardless of all other academic achievements. Parents do not even have the legal right to view the specific test taken by their child or to question the results of the test.

The FCAT is not the answer to Florida's educational issues. The FCAT only compounds the problem. We need to put the measure of performance back into the hands of the professional educators who work with the children on a daily basis.

FCAT is failing us

The majority of those who have constant contact with their children's elementary principals and teachers know firsthand that the FCAT results do not have anything to do with the education of their children. I have a grandson attending Westgate Elementary, where 25 percent of the third-graders are facing retention. This is certainly indicative of the failure of the FCAT in the state of Florida!

Unfortunately, until Gov. Jeb Bush and his administrators become more "sober-minded," the public school system in the state of Florida will have little chance of improving the education of its children.

If St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker's push for corporate involvement in public schools means financial assistance, so be it. However, the real solution will be utilizing taxpayer money for the benefit of all the children in the public school system.

Parents have a big role

Re: FCAT results.

I feel that the Pinellas County school system has worked very hard to bring up students' reading skills. However, since when do we hold the schools responsible if our children can read or not? I feel strongly that parents have and must take an active part in their children's reading progress.

Spend time with your children before they start school. It works!

The power of pre-K

Re: How pre-K programs work against crime, April 18.

As a retired educator, I was pleased to read the remarkably fine article about prekindergarten. Seldom has there been a concept printed that contained so much common sense.

The younger the child is when he or she is started on programs and activities that are educational, the more likely it is that he or she will be successful in school. By age 4, we have already lost three precious years!

As indicated by the authors, early intervention can be the difference between a successful life and one of misery. More immediately, it will help those children through the "dreaded" third-grade tests.

Congratulations to Robert Crowder and Paul Rumbley for their insightful contribution to children.

Lawmakers aren't listening

Re: Senate panel approves prekindergarten bill, April 14.

The universal prekindergarten constitutional amendment would provide, if appropriately funded, an unprecedented opportunity to prepare our children to learn when they reach kindergarten. The first five years of life are hot-wired for learning, and we have not been taking advantage of what nature provides. Last year, only 33 percent of the 152,000 children entering kindergarten were proficient in the necessary skills of language and literacy. The reason is well known: We have always tried to take care of our children on the cheap.

With the advent of brain research, we know that in order to develop a fully functioning brain, we must provide it with as many experiences as possible in all developmental areas. It is irresponsible to warehouse children without taking into consideration the quality of that care. Just babysitting cannot be what we do in the early learning child because it retards his developing skills.

Floridians acknowledged this and sent a message to Tallahassee, carefully crafted to address the provision of quality. It is puzzling why the people we voted to lead us can't take the hint. Tallahassee seems to lack the will to look at a problem and seriously address the solution.

It would take $600-million to adequately fund this initiative. The Senate wanted to do this with $7-million in 10 counties - not Pinellas, by the way. I'm not sure what it will take to get our legislators to listen to us. Clearly, they believe they shouldn't have to. I am looking forward to voting in the fall.

An unwarranted attack on Byrd

I believe the St. Petersburg Times has fallen short of its standard of quality journalism regarding a story headlined Byrd tied to bid to revive dog track permit (April 21). It is yet another attack by the St. Petersburg Times on House Speaker Johnnie Byrd.

The only people mentioned in the story who "tie" the speaker to this situation are "Others on the committee said they were told the amendment was requested by Byrd." This is the primary allegation of the story, and it is secondhand information offered by unnamed sources. Does this really meet the journalism standards of your newspaper? If so, I am disappointed.

Another way to attempt to "tie" this situation to the speaker is to report that Joseph Zappala, the owner of the dog track, is the speaker's "honorary finance chairman." This implies that he is managing the daily finances of the campaign, which is not the case. I told the reporter that he is one of several honorary finance chairmen throughout the state, and it is very curious that was not in the story.

The only reason this is even newsworthy is because you have attempted to portray this situation as one where the speaker is using his power to help a friend pass legislation, which is simply not true. If you make this allegation in the future, I hope next time you will name the source. The speaker has a long history of voting against gambling and wagering of any kind. He did not request this bill, he does not support it and he does not believe it has a good chance of becoming law.

All fallen soldiers deserve attention

Re: Reaching far for negative news, letter, April 21.

I wanted to address the letter writer who stated he had a problem with the St. Petersburg Times writing stories about a Marine from Rhode Island who was killed in Iraq. I feel any time a serviceman or woman dies in war that it is newsworthy, no matter where he or she comes from. The writer makes it seem that because this is a St. Petersburg-based newspaper, anyone not from the Tampa Bay area is not worth the time of day.

He stated in his response, "Arriving over the Internet daily are pictures of how well we are doing over there. Pictures of soldiers helping children, children receiving gifts, schools being built, drinking water in homes that never had water before. And on and on. But, no. Let's talk about someone who was killed who doesn't live in Florida, let alone the Tampa Bay area."

You know what? Yes, let's talk about anyone and everyone who was killed in Iraq. They are defending our country, and they deserve our prayers, respect and support no matter if they live in Rhode Island, the Tampa Bay area or anywhere else in the United States. My prayers are with the families of the men and women lost. God bless our country.

"Doonesbury' sends a message

I don't personally know anyone in our armed forces in Iraq, but I actually got tears in my eyes looking at the last panel of the April 21 Doonesbury strip. To see "BD" minus his ever-present headgear and half of his leg really brought home the horror of what we are asking of our young men and women fighting in a country where we are not even wanted. What an awful mess we are in - with no way out.

Facing the horrors of war

I thank the St. Petersburg Times for running Doonesbury this week. The obscenity is the horror of war, not a little vulgar language. Confronting that reality is the moral obligation of us all. I am particularly addressing those living in the cartoon reality of this administration.

Everyone has to face war's horror squarely. Photographs and descriptions of reality can never equal the experience, but viewing and reading about them is everyone's obligation.

My father was a World War II combat veteran decorated for bravery in action. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. He told me stories of the war, but almost always only of funny moments he had with his comrades - there are some, even in war. Occasionally some of the horror would come out, like the time he watched his jeep driver blown to pieces before his eyes. Sometimes, at night, my father delved deeper into his private hell. He cried, but never would tell me what he was seeing.

Talk with a combat veteran. If they have the heart to recall their experience, they will tell a truth no one should look away from. They couldn't. We shouldn't. We owe them that.

Put it in its proper place

Re: "Doonesbury" goes to battle, April 20.

Two of the strongest attributes of the St. Petersburg Times are your consistent championship of First Amendment rights and your tremendous support of youth literacy. I applaud your decision to not censor the April 23 release of Doonesbury, but would like to suggest a more appropriate venue.

The "funny pages" should be funny. They should not feature vulgar language. I do not want to explain "S.O.B" to a third-grader this week nor do I wish to myself censor a family-friendly section of the paper.

The reasonable solution, and one respectful to your entire readership, would have been to run Doonesbury's current series on the editorial page.

Share your opinions

Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They can be sent by fax to 727 893-8675 or through our Web site at: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/

They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible.

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.

Opinion

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright