State Sen. Frederica Wilson, perhaps the state's most vocal anti-FCAT politician, wants the Senate Education Committee to hold FCAT hearings around the state. In a letter last week to committee chair Don Gaetz, Wilson noted Gaetz's call for a committee inquiry into the ongoing scoring fiasco. So why not go a step further? Wilson, who once said the FCAT was turning Florida students into "little robots," has called for such hearings for years and said she has already contacted some community colleges to host them. "We have a crisis that must be addressed," she wrote. For a taste of what Wilson thinks of the FCAT, click here.
The Department of Education may also consider public meetings of some kind regarding the FCAT. Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg said after Friday's advisory group meeting in Orlando that "more outreach" is possible and mentioned, as an example, DOE field reps meeting with groups of parents and teachers. "We will make those sorts of plans with this group," she said.
Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news and dig deep into Tampa Bay area school issues.
To assure you that I'm "on the level," please let me begin by listing my credentials. I taught middle-school English in Duval County for ten years; and for about one year, I served as a test scorer for a local branch of NCS Pearson. I am also a writer who has written, directed, and starred in several local plays, most recently in Oct. 2008 at Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre.
I am in the process of writing and directing a two-act comedy based on my experiences as a former teacher and test scorer. The play is titled "Testing: A Week in the Life of an Ex-Teacher," and it will be performed in Neptune Beach in Jan. and Feb. 2009 for the two weekends just before this school year's FCAT administration. The play is available for free on-line reading, and it has its own MySpace page; URLs for both are listed below.
I have little-to-no budget for publicity, and I am eager to get the word out about this play, particularly to teachers who will appreciate an "insider's view" of the process. Any help you can give in publicizing the play would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time and help.
Sincerely,
Steve Bailey
Jacksonville Beach, FL.
Phones: 246-0312 (home - preferred), 987-2274 (work)
E-mail: stevebailey61@gmail.com
Play script on-line at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreatExpectorations
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/teacherplay
Posted by: Steve Bailey | December 14, 2008 at 08:44 PM