Peter Greene reports that the Florida Department of Education made an ambiguous statement when pressed on the Manatee County’s determination to hold back third-grade students who opt out, even if they have excellent reports cards and can read very well.
The spokesperson for the state said that the law is clear: students have to take the test. But the law does not say that students must be held back.
Peter reads this to mean that the state is blaming the district.
So, Superintendents Diane Greene and Lori White– the ball’s in your court. In fact, you’re kind of in your court all alone now. The state has sent a clear message of “Don’t lay this foolishness on us!” My suggestion? make a reasonable, humane, decent decision here– the kind of decision that one would expect from a professional educator who actually cares about the welfare of children. Take the opening the state has given you, and pass those children.