Lowering the bar for children once again: Welcome to Utopia

What to do when the majority of your kids can't pass a state mandated exam? Lower the bar. that is the egalitarian response to everything. In an egalitarian world, everything has to be fair and if everyone is not existing on the same level, then it must be time to re-evaluate the criteria of performance Teachers unions don't want anything implemented that might even remotely address their qualifications to teach or their failure to produce.

Passing score lowered for FCAT Writing exam

The Board of Education decided in an emergency meeting Tuesday to lower the passing grade on the writing portion of Florida's standardized test after preliminary results showed a drastic drop in student passing scores.
The results indicated only about a third of students would pass this year's tougher Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test exam, compared with a passing rate of 80 percent or more last year.
"They've asked students to do more, but that's pretty dramatic," said Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pudlow. "We need to examine what led to this, not just paper over the problem."

The results provide another opening to critics of high-stakes testing. The statewide teachers union has opposed Florida's use of standardized tests to evaluate teachers and grade schools.
"Our students must know how to read and write, and our education system must be able to measure and benchmark their progress so we can set clear education goals," said Gov. Rick Scott in a statement Monday. "The significant contrast in this year's writing scores is an obvious indication that the Department of Education needs to review the issue and recommend an action plan so that our schools, parents, teachers and students have a clear understanding of the results."