FCAT: One School's Story

Well, we got our FCAT results back. If you've read my article about this abomination of assessments (the article can't be that hard to locate under my list--considering I am the least prolific of all that grace this website) you'll know that we worked all year preparing and even prayed around our school the day before for the children and teachers that must endure this monstrosity of standardize testing. We thought we did well. We knew we did well. We could have sworn we did well. We didn't do well. We were given a grade of "F". Now to understand how much of a blow this is to us you must know a little history of our school.

In summer 2005 I received a phone call from an old friend who wanted me to join her at a Title I school where she had just been named principal. I had been teaching in another Title I school for 12 years, so I knew what to expect and was excited about working for my friend who was a dynamic, highly-motivated leader. We, myself and 16 other new teachers to the school, inherited a daunting history. It was an "F" school of 243 students with 586 discipline referrals the year before. This was completely unacceptable for my principal and her faculty and staff. She began implementing changes. Changes that would turn around a great many lives.