Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 8-23-19

Page Seven
Over 1,000 Florida Teacher Jobs Saved By Legislation Inspired By Investigation
A new state law created to keep good teachers from being terminated over a con- troversial state licensing exam has saved the jobs of more than 1000 Florida teachers this school year, the I-team learned.
The Florida Teacher Cer- tification Exam (FTCE), is a must-pass licensing exam for anyone who wants to teach in a Florida public classroom. A portion of the exam, called the General Knowledge Test or GKT, consists of four sub- tests that tests a teacher can- didate’s general knowledge in math, English language, reading and writing. Florida law required teachers teach- ing with a temporary certifi- cate pass the GKT within their first year of teaching.
However, after the GKT was made tougher in 2015, failure rates increased up to 30% on some portions of the exam forcing school districts around the state to terminate
teachers who couldn’t pass the exam in time. The new law now gives new teachers more time to pass the tests.
The Florida Investigative Team
As a result of the new law,
Melissa Born who teaches 5th grade for the Collier County school district is keeping her job in the class- room this year.
“It’s definitely a relief,” she told us this summer. “If that legislation didn’t pass, I wouldn’t have a job this year,” Born said.
For two years , Investiga- tive Reporter Katie La- Grone reported on how repeat failures on the test were causing concerns at every level of Florida’s educa- tion system. College of edu- cation programs saw their enrollments decrease, many school districts were depend- ing on more long-term sub- stitutes to fill classrooms
while all school districts were left terminating teachers who hadn’t passed the GK test within their first year.
State education leaders insisted the changes were made to attract the best qual- ity teachers however, the state's former Commissioner on Education, Pam Stew- art, refused to sit down with us to talk about the test. Over the course of our investiga- tion, we spoke with district leaders who raised concerns about how the state was put- ting too much weight on the test and not enough empha- sis on a teacher’s effective- ness in the classroom.
Last summer alone, La- Grone discovered more than 1000 teachers were ter- minated from their jobs for not passing portions of the exam. Those teachers in- cluded educators determined by their principals to be ef- fective or even highly effec- tive with students in the
classroom.
Florida Teachers, Failing and Frustrated
As part of our ongoing se- ries of reports, critics of the exam expressed questions about the validity and relia- bility of the test in determin- ing the success of a teacher. In North Carolina and Indi- ana, questions about their state teacher tests forced ed- ucation leaders to re-exam- ine their tests and Pearson Inc, the controversial testing giant who administers the tests in those states and state teacher tests here in Florida.
Our series also exposed how costs to take the exam had increased 800% in a ten- year period with costs to re- take the exam also going up. As a result of our series, the state lowered exam fees and retake fees by up to 70%.
As a result of the new law, school districts trying to bat- tle an ongoing teacher short-
age are feeling, at least, some relief. In Polk County, as of July, the new law helped the district keep 120 teachers in the classroom this year.
“That’s quite a big num- ber, we’re ecstatic,” said dis- trict Human Resource Director Annissa Wilfalk. “We’re not out there having to recruit more teachers to fill in those holes."
In Palm Beach County, more than 200 teachers who would have been terminated last summer for not passing the GK exam, are keeping their jobs this year.
“It’s terrifying that one test can ruin a career for any of us,” said Melissa Born who’s still working to pass the essay portion of the exam but thrilled to know she now has two more years to do it. “Thank you for all your work and to everyone who came to you say this is an issue be- cause if not, I wouldn’t have a job."
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A