Opinion

We're mediocre because testing isn't teaching

DAN GELBER
Published: February 13, 2013

Education Week recently published its Quality Counts State Report Card. Florida ranked sixth nationally, so immediately the Republican Party of Florida and Gov. Rick Scott rushed to congratulate each other.

I don't relish throwing cold water on the party, but a closer read of the report reflects what most parents already know. All is definitely not well in Florida's schools. The areas in which they did well are not nearly as important as the ones in which they tanked.

Florida got an "A" for the amount and quality of testing in our schools; no surprise to Florida teachers, who feel forced to spend more time giving tests than teaching.

But testing is not teaching, and in the category of "achievement" we earned a C-minus because too many kids are not proficient in math or reading. Plus, our graduation rate was 44th in the nation. The report didn't take into account that graduating seniors' ACT and SAT scores were among the worst in the country or that 50 percent of those who graduate need remedial work if they get to college.

Don't misunderstand. I strongly believe accountability is important. We need to know what is working and how well students are learning. But Florida measures competence in only a few subjects. So rather than accounting for all the things that matter, we make all that matters only the things we account for.

A strong accountability system needs to broaden the curriculum. That cannot happen if you only have accountability without adequate school funding. Until Tallahassee understands that, Florida will continue to celebrate mediocrity rather than true achievement.

That's because testing is not teaching.

Dan Gelber is a former Florida Senate Democrat leader from Miami.