Florida public schools rank No. 7 in K-12 achievement this year, which, considering their unfortunate rep, is good news with a pigs-fly twist, right?
And yet, across the state’s newspapers and TV stations, the ranking spawned a total of three short stories, two blog posts and one TV report, averaging less than seven paragraphs each. Florida’s school boards, superintendents, PTAs and teacher unions didn’t acknowledge the news either. Not even a tweet!
I wish it weren’t true, but that pattern has been in place for years. The volume is often cranked when there’s a negative story about Florida ed reforms and/or student performance. But when evidence suggests reforms may be working and/or Florida students are moving up, the amp gets switched off. That’s not healthy for the debate we’re having about our schools and kids.
So, for the record, here’s a little more detail about the good news: The No. 7 rank comes from Education Week, essentially the national newspaper of record for ed news. Its quality is top notch; its reporters, excellent. Every year, it ranks state education systems in a variety of ways.
With K-12 achievement, it looks at NAEP scores, AP results and grad rates, and considers proficiency, progress and achievement gaps. The No. 7 rank is based on a formula that incorporates all of that. But Florida looks good in the achievement subcategories, too. It ranks No. 4 in closing achievement gaps and No. 5 in improvement over time. In proficiency, it ranks No. 22, up from No. 30 last year.
The last part may sound middling, until you see how Florida is moving past states with lower rates of poor kids. In fact, no state outperforms its demographic more. To see, just put the proficiency ranks side-by-side with the percentage of kids in each state who are eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch. (See chart below.)
The Sunshine State ranks No. 43 in the latter, at 56 percent. But again, it ranks No. 22 in proficiency. It’s passing states with better academic reps, like Iowa (No. 23 in proficiency; 39 percent FRL), and closing fast on others like Utah (No. 18 in proficiency; 38 percent FRL).
One last note. It’s true Florida earned so-so grades: C overall, D+ for proficiency, C+ for progress and an A- for closing achievement gaps. But EdWeek is, thankfully, a tough grader. In overall K-12 achievement, the top states got B’s. In proficiency, only Massachusetts got an A and only four other states got B’s.
Florida’s education system has miles to go. But any way you slice it, it’s come a long way in a short time. That’s worth a headline now and then.
All of these gains yet teachers in this state are still in the bottom third in terms of pay. Not that anyone on this site cares about that.
Hi Traditional Public School Teacher. Saying Florida teachers are in the bottom third in terms of pay is putting too nice a spin on it. The last I remember – and I wrote about it just a few years ago – Florida teachers were ranked No. 47 in pay. I think it’s a big problem. And I think Florida teachers should and could make the case that they deserve better pay because they’re working harder than ever and, more importantly, they’re getting results. Unfortunately, too many folks who claim to be allies of teachers are often either denying that Florida has made steady, substantial progress – or they’re looking the other way and not acknowledging that progress. Again, Florida ranked No. 7 in K-12 achievement this year and outperformed its demographics better than any state in the nation, And yet there wasn’t a single press release congratulating Florida students and teachers from school boards, superintendents, PTAs or teacher unions. Why is that?
And too many blogs such as this do not call for better teacher salaries nearly as much as they could. Allies of public school teachers are not the problem. It is their job to defend them. You could gain a lot of support from teachers in public schools if you championed better pay as loudly as you champion charter schools, vouchers, and other issues.
Hi Traditional Public School Teacher, thanks for the comment. This blog is primarily about school choice. We make no bones about it: We believe expanding school choice is a good thing, even as we acknowledge there are plenty of issues with charters, magnets, vouchers, tax credit scholarships, virtual schools, etc. that are complicated and worth debating in a fair-minded way. So, with our limited resources, that’s what we focus on. Unfortunately, that means there are tons of education issues we don’t write much about, like teacher pay. Maybe we should write more about those things.
Personally, I don’t think Florida teachers get paid enough, especially the ones in high-poverty schools where we’re seeing the biggest gains, and especially those in critical shortage areas like science where Florida hasn’t gotten as much traction. But I also think pay issues are complicated – maybe even complicated enough that they deserve a blog of their own, too, where people can really get into the details.
In the meantime, we do occasionally write about the different reports of Florida’s progress because we think that’s important context to have as we consider the promises and challenges of expanding school choice. I do find it ironic that some of those considered to be in the “school choice camp” – and who are often charged with wanting to privatize education – are the ones who most vocally and persistently note the academic gains of Florida’s public schools. And again, I do find it odd that school boards, superintendents, PTAs and teacher unions rarely acknowledge those gains and the teachers who made them possible.
Hi Traditional Public School Teacher, thanks for the comment. This blog is primarily about school choice. We make no bones about it: We believe expanding school choice is a good thing, even as we acknowledge there are plenty of issues with charters, magnets, vouchers, tax credit scholarships, virtual schools, etc. that are complicated and worth debating in a fair-minded way. So, with our limited resources, that’s what we focus on. Unfortunately, that means there are tons of education issues we don’t write much about, like teacher pay. Maybe we should write more about those things.
Personally, I don’t think Florida teachers get paid enough, especially the ones in high-poverty schools where we’re seeing the biggest gains, and especially those in critical shortage areas like science where Florida hasn’t gotten as much traction. But I also think pay issues are complicated – maybe even complicated enough that they deserve a blog of their own, too, where people can really get into the details.
In the meantime, we do occasionally write about the different reports of Florida’s progress because we think that’s important context to have as we consider the promises and challenges of expanding school choice. I do find it ironic that some of those considered to be in the “school choice camp” – and who are often charged with wanting to privatize education – are the ones who most vocally and persistently note the academic gains of Florida’s public schools. And again, I do find it odd that school boards, superintendents, PTAs and teacher unions rarely acknowledge those gains and the teachers who made them possible.
Maybe “the new definition of public education” should include well-paid teachers. Just saying.
Dear traditionalist teacher: The new definition of public education empowers teachers to create and run their own schools, and pay themselves whatever the schools they own can afford. A great way to honor Dr. King’s legacy today is to reach out to some colleagues and start talking about creating your own school.
You only live once. Go for it.
The worse thing that can happen is you fail and have to go back to where you are now.
Dr. King would hate how segregsted corporate charter schools are becoming.