Who’s to blame for the turmoil in the Palm Beach County School District?

2 Comments

  • Catherine Martinez - 14 years ago

    Both in the article and in the editorial there was comment about low diagnostic scores from the winter testing being responsible in part for Mr. Hernandez's demotion. It is ironic that the same thing our students are struggling with has also brought about his downfall - a one-time, high-stakes test that I believe gives a distorted, narrow view of student (and his) abilities. As a teacher, in my experience student scores on the winter diagnostics generally drop from the fall testing. Students are tired of school and tired of testing. There is no motivation for doing well on the test. The scores do not affect their class grade in any way. I do not agree with everything in the Academic Business Plan. For example, I think that the embedded assessments in their current form do not meet their intended objectives, but the model lesson plans provide an important resource for teachers throughout the county. It would be a shame to throw the baby out with the bath water. It is equally unfair to make Mr. Hernandez the scapegoat and whipping boy for everything that the parents, teachers and administrators do not like about the plan.

  • bobby - 14 years ago

    The blame lies squarely with Art Johnson. He did not even have the ability to recognize the "creep factor"!

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