Constituent Email of Frustration, Concern....

Received the below email recently from a constituent--not specifically addressed to me, so it was probably a blast to many recipients.  I thought it merited inclusion.  I totally know and can sense the frustration through this email.  I've XXXXX'd out identifiers in the email........

To whom it may concern:

If the Florida Education leaders are telling parents not to rely on FCAT, then WHY are some schools being punished with an extra hour?  “Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said changes to the testing program resulted in some lower scores, but said the results shouldn't be interpreted as lower performances by students, teachers and schools. “  Rick Scott also has acknowledged FCAT is not doing what it is supposed to do any longer.  Then why waste the money on some schools going extra hours?

Do you really believe that extending school hours is going to help 5 schools make progress?    Have you read research studies?  Do you realize WHERE these schools are?  No amount of extra teaching is going to affect these children until their PARENTS get involved.  Faculty can’t make them care or get involved.  Those students come to school behind-they have no life experiences.  Most don’t care, they are simply trying to survive parents involved in drugs, murder, alcohol, abuse, jail,  etc.

Will these teachers get an extra break, no lunch duties, extra planning, and extra pay, earn extra time off?  I highly doubt you’ve thought of other

 ways to compensate them for their hard work and the mental, physical, and emotional strain they will be working under.    

How can one school (XXXXXXXXX) work so hard, become an A school one year, and with the SAME teachers, drop to where they are being punished the very next year?  This is very demoralizing to faculty and students.  They work harder than any other school in this county.  Do they get recognized?  No, just punished with an extra hour.   The behaviors they have to put up with range on “abuse”.  None of you have a clue what they put up with on a daily/hourly basis.  The stories I’ve heard would never be allowed to continue in most other schools/districts.

I want to simply encourage you to think of ways to encourage these teachers.  There is a reason there is a HIGH turnover rate at these schools.  I highly doubt a teacher at XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, or XXXXXXXXXX would last a day in one of these lower schools.  Why not try it?

Sent from my iPad