An Occasional Column by Roger C. Schank
Column #15, posted 3/18/02
$105 Million to Grade Tests?
There is no money for education. Time and again, while I struggle to find
money to create innovative high school curricula (not mention new curricula
for younger kids), I am told that there is no money. I live in Florida,
and today I found, in the Palm Beach Post, an article headlined:
“State to pay $6.7 million more for company to grade FCATs”
(note: the FCAT is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for students
in grades 3-10)
Inside the article there is news that “the state has made official a $105 million contract with (an Iowa company) for an additional three years.”
There is no money available for building new curricula, but there is $105 million for grading useless tests. We should all be ashamed of the actions that politicians have taken in recent years to rigidify an already rigid system. What a waste of money. What a waste of time for students.
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