Blog: FCAR Speakout

By a Marion County Parent

The FCAT has finally done us in , so we are moving our 12 year old son into private school where he'll never have to face that abuse again.

This year (6th grade), I kept my son home on tests days because he was once again stressing. When I returned him to school with a note stating I didn't want the test  administered to him this year, I was called by the principal. She stated that they HAD TO administer the test, but that they wouldn't hold it against him & would take other factors into account. WHAT A LIE!!!! After successfully completing 6th grade with a 2.66 GPA, we were told he would have to be retained due to his Reading score. Their solution was that he repeat 6th grade with a schedule of: one half day of reading and language arts, remedial math, regular math and science. No PE, exploratory, or social studies classes (it's OK because he got an A in social studies which proves he didn't need it again). And if he failed FCAT again next year--don't worry they can't retain him again. So then he can go to 7th grade. What a joke! A kid who can get an A in social studies, a B in science, and a C in language arts, shows me he can comprehend what he reads, just not on the FCAT. I have no faith that a year of remedial reading would do an ounce of good. He had a year of remedial math (got a B) but still struggled with a D in regular math where his teacher said only because of tests was his grade low. In class, he showed better understanding than kids who passed the test. And his FCAT math actually dropped this year. So much for their remediation.

We spent quite a bit of money when he was 9 to have him checked by a psychologist for learning disabilities and he's either ADD or has a non-verbal learning disability. Yet, he's supposed to pass this damn test every year. We put him on medication for the public school system so now I'm going to work with the private school we've chosen & see if they notice an attention deficit problem with him off the meds. If he needs them fine, but I hope we haven't medicated him for no reason these last 3 years....The medication didn't help his FCAT scores any...

I'm sorry to ramble on, just really sick and tired of it all. I'm giving up the stay at home mom job and going back to work to pay for private school. Let's see, that's 6 more years till graduation, unless Tallahassee changes FCAT...but I won't hold my breath there.

 

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Last modified: 04/06/08