Lee County Schools Becomes First District To Opt-Out of State-Mandated Testing August 29, 2014 This week, the Lee County School board voted 3-2 to opt out of state-mandated standardized testing. The district became the first in the state, and possibly the country, to do so.
Common Core Standards Force Florida Teachers To Ditch ‘The Great Gatsby’ And Other Classics October 16, 2013 The Common Core education standards are prompting consequential and contentious changes in what Florida students read and how books are taught.
FCAT Fracas Revives Old Question: Are Florida Students Learning? May 17, 2012 Howard Goodman: Only 27 percent of fourth-graders passed this year's writing test, representing a plunge of deep-sea proportions.
In Florida, Higher Education Priorities Questioned April 26, 2012 Howard Goodman: To save $1.4 million, the University of Florida is eliminating its computer science department. And that's just the beginning of questionable decisions concerning Florida's university system.
Poll Shows Parents Generous in Grading Schools March 14, 2012 Howard Goodman: Hispanic and African-American parents in Florida and seven other southern states are wildly overconfident that their children's schools are doing a good job and that their kids will go on to college and even attain advanced college degrees, a new poll shows.
In Tallahassee, Breaks for Business. Families? Not So Much March 12, 2012 Howard Goodman: With the 60-day session rushing to a close at midnight Friday, lawmakers pushed through tax relief for the business sector that will total some $750 million this year and more than $2.5 billion over the next three years.
