5/28/2003
No options for kids who fail FCAT
The FCAT bill was a last-minute sto-gap expedient meant to give some kind of alternative to students who met all the requirements for high school graduation except for passing the FCAT. But the Legislature couldn't even do that. "The Senate does not lend itself to immediacy," said Senate president Jim King.
When you combine the failure of this bill with the cutbacks and tuition increases in the budget bill, the effect to is slam the doors of Florida's community colleges shut to the kind of students their were meant to serve.
The fact that this was thrown to the Legislature during the very last week of school shows the lack of thought given to the effects of the FCAT. Remember, FCAT requirements were passed three years ago. Everyone knew this was going to happen. Nobody cared to take action.
The only intelligent way to sort this out without making things worse to to declare a one- or two-year year moratorium on FCAT sanctions to give the state time to get its act together.
When you combine the failure of this bill with the cutbacks and tuition increases in the budget bill, the effect to is slam the doors of Florida's community colleges shut to the kind of students their were meant to serve.
The fact that this was thrown to the Legislature during the very last week of school shows the lack of thought given to the effects of the FCAT. Remember, FCAT requirements were passed three years ago. Everyone knew this was going to happen. Nobody cared to take action.
The only intelligent way to sort this out without making things worse to to declare a one- or two-year year moratorium on FCAT sanctions to give the state time to get its act together.
