港澳天下彩

Florida鈥檚 system of giving schools grades from A-to-F has been in the spotlight this summer.

First, state officials made to the A-to-F formula, preventing more than 150 schools from dropping to F grades.

Then, Florida鈥檚 education commissioner   over reports that he manipulated school grades in Indiana when he was in charge of schools there.

Florida pioneered the A thru F school grade system in 1999. But now, even supporters are saying it鈥檚 time to

With school about to start back up, we reached out to parents through the Public Insight Network and asked: What does a school鈥檚 grade even mean to you?

Robin Godby, teaches psychology at Broward College, parent of two middle schoolers:

A school grade, in no way, accurately conveys the quality of education provided to children. There is no emphasis on critical thinking skills, creativity, ethics, logic and an appreciation for learning.

Parents should be made aware that an 鈥淎鈥� school doesn鈥檛 guarantee a good education. It only guarantees the amount of money the school will earn and burnout of good teachers.

Renata Castro, project manager, son in elementary school:

Unfortunately school grades influence the way I see the staff and the students in the school my son attends.

My son goes to what is a considered 鈥済hetto鈥� school鈥攂ecause we live in Margate鈥攊n spite of the fact it is an excellent school. [At my school] I feel that they really are invested in the overall success of my son. They know my son by name.

One of the things I really wish we could quantify, by feedback of other parents: What really is the involvement of the teachers and the principal?

I wish we had the Zagat of schools. As with anything, some people like chocolate, some people like vanilla. But I would like to see something around those lines.

I would like the students to have a voice. I personally think there is a lot of information that can be gathered from that.

I wish I could have a more holistic view of what really goes on in the school. It could lead to more engagement from the parents.

The right teacher will inspire people to do well beyond the classroom. Unfortunately the letter grade is all I have to measure the school by.

Barbara Van Diepen, retired educator and grandparent of a high schooler:

As a teacher, it鈥檚 added stress to make sure each child performs to the best of their ability. As a grandparent, it is added stress on the children. The grades are so skewed鈥攁nd the rules are constantly changing鈥攖hat the grades are essentially meaningless.

Yet the general public takes them at face value鈥攚hich is a disservice to the teachers and schools. I can鈥檛 deny that it is a factor I looked at.

That鈥檚 why it is so important for parents to be visible and involved at the school. By volunteering you soon learn what the quality of education is at the school.

Elizabeth Gonzalez, paralegal, parent of a middle schooler and a recent high school grad:

A school鈥檚 grade demonstrates the effort (or lack thereof) not only of the students and their parents, but of the teachers, the administration, and the support staff towards making that school鈥檚 environment conducive to learning and excelling.

In light of the implementation of Common Core, and the fact that the school grades come from the FCAT scores (which the teachers spend half the school year drilling the kids on), I don鈥檛 believe the school grades accurately reflect how much effort the teachers are putting forth with the students in the actual classroom.

During the last few years my younger son has been attending school, he comes home with A LOT of homework鈥攚hich makes me question how much time is spent on actual subjects, and how much of the time is being spent working on FCAT.

I am fortunate that my younger son鈥檚 school, Ponce de Leon Middle School, is an 鈥淎鈥� school and an international languages magnate.

How am I really supposed to know how much of that 鈥淎鈥� belongs to the teaching of core subjects as opposed to FCAT?

Carolina Garcia, kindergarten teacher, parent of a child in middle school and high school:

A school鈥檚 grade means little to me. It is simply a waste of time. I am certain that an educator in a low-performing school works as hard or harder than a teacher in a top-performing school. I think that FCAT strategies are useful lifelong tools, but the FCAT should not be the greater percentage of those school grades.

I am both an educator and a parent. My son left public school with a 2 on his fifth grade FCAT. After a year in private school, his performance in those same areas scored over a tenth-grade performance on the .

For me the grades should consist of the quality of teachers in the school. How much training have these teachers had? Do they continue to train? How do those grades align with the Common Core?

I鈥檓 a firm believer that all children can learn. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 a teacher.

These parents connected with us through the Public Insight Network, an online community of people who have agreed to share their opinions with 港澳天下彩and the Miami Herald. Become a news source by going to .

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