Firing is hard to do

Nov 30, 2006 - It was the second time that the 4th District Court of Appeal overturned the Palm Beach County school administrator's decision to fire a teacher for poor performance. The court overturned his dismissal because the school district did not consider his students' FCAT scores.

The decision was Samuel K. Young vs. The Palm Beach County School Board

First decision was Curtis Sherrod vs. The Palm Beach County School Board
The school board is unable to fire despite the "excessive or inappropriate use of R-rated videos" in the classroom, a teacher's failure to provide instruction, or complete instruction in a subject, or his failure to provide timely grades" or his unfitness demonstrated by continual transfer to school after school. In their defense, the court noted that it was not "authorized to pass on the widom of such statutes" but to enforce the law as written.

The Sherrod case demonstrates how bad law continues to facilitate bad results. If it weren't for the fact that children are the losers in this political game, it would not be so disheartening. Teachers' unions resent the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The statue that makes teacher firing "primarily" based on FCAT scores is meant to undermine state testing. Newspapers that treat FICA results like a football match, and agitate against school reform don't help. The real victims are students.

New York State has conducted Regents Examinations - statewide testing of proficiencies - since 1878 without the battlefield political exercises found in Florida. But, then the New York State Department of Education has a goal. "Our mission is to raise the knowledge, skill, and opportunity of all the people in New York.

Too bad we can't say that about teacher unions.