Monday night’s community input meeting at Boynton Beach High School drew about three dozen parents, many of whom are also teachers. The stories told included not having the proper text books, seeing testing sap student enthusiasm, being helpless to assist their elementary aged children decipher today’s version of math.
Speakers also described students who are no longer getting recess or enjoying other class activities because of a narrowed focus on Florida’s Standards, based on the national Common Core.
Board member Debra Robinson says she’s long lamented how high-stakes testing can derail low-income children. “High-stakes has played out in poorer schools because you need intensive courses” to ensure the kids passed the tests.
Now? New tests are coming to Florida and a broad swath of parents and educators fear scores will plummet and take children down with them.
“I hope everybody screams and shouts and says enough is enough,” Robinson said.
Tonight there’s another opportunity to “scream and shout” :
Palm Beach Lakes High School auditorium
3505 Shiloh Dr. in West Palm Beach
6-7:30 p.m.
Three more meetings are planned.
