Congressman
Jim
Davis
Again Urges Gov. Bush to Fix Florida’s Failed Accountability System
WASHINGTON
,
DC
– Today, Floridians learned that 68 percent of their schools earned an
“A” or a “B” under the Florida A+ Education Plan, but 77 percent
of schools failed to earn “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) due to
Governor Jeb Bush’s implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB).
Congressman
Jim Davis
, who last month wrote to Governor Bush urging him to fix
Florida
’s education policies before many of
Florida
best schools are forced to redirect vital Title I education funds out of
the classroom, sent a letter to the Governor
today calling on him again to address this confusing contradiction in
the state’s accountability system.
NCLB gives
states flexibility to determine the criteria used to measure AYP.
As a result of Governor Bush’s NCLB policies,
Florida
has overwhelmingly led the nation in the percentage of schools failing
AYP. These policies have
severe consequences. Students
attending schools that fail to meet AYP two years in a row can transfer
to a school that has passed AYP, and the failing school must use a
portion of their Title I classroom funds to pay for transporting
students to other schools.
“I
strongly support accountability in education, but Governor Bush’s
implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act is punishing many of the
parents, teachers and students who have worked so hard to earn “As”
and “Bs” under the Florida A+ Plan,” said Congressman Davis.
“An accountability plan should help parents and teachers
understand how their students and schools are doing, but
Florida
’s accountability system is only adding to the confusion.”
Read
Rep. Davis' Letter to Gov. Bush