Despite an absence of leadership from the superintendent’s office, supporters of FAMU’s Developmental Research School still hope their efforts to improve the institution’s standardized test scores will pay off this year.
DRS is the only K-12 laboratory school in the State University System of Florida that has never scored an A on its Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) school-wide grade. In fact, DRS is the only SUS K-12 lab school that hasn’t made straight As on the FCAT since 2001-2002.
As part of an effort to help DRS reach its full potential, state Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson secured funding for a brand new $30.6 million school building. The facility, which opened in 2009, includes a gymnasium, cafeteria/auditorium, TV production room, and computer labs.
The initial enthusiasm created by the new building was hampered by Superintendent Ronald Holmes, whose actions have had a very negative effect on the school’s morale. Many teachers blame Holmes for not heeding their suggestions to help DRS maintain the progress that improved the school’s FCAT grade from an “F” in 2007 to a “C” in 2008. DRS dropped to a “D” in 2009.
Faculty members have also struggled within an atmosphere of fear following a series of highly publicized scares concerning their employment. Holmes’ failure to recruit enough students to satisfy the demands of this year’s budget threatened many teachers’ jobs.
Dedicated teachers, parents, and community volunteers have still worked hard and done their best to prepare students for the FCAT despite the lack of support from the superintendent.
NCS Pearson, the company in charge of grading the FCAT, is behind schedule in releasing the scores. President James Ammons says he is waiting to receive FAMU’s 2010 FCAT results before making a decision regarding Holmes’ contract, which expires this year. Ammons has until June 30 to decide what to do with Holmes.
DRS is the only K-12 laboratory school in the State University System of Florida that has never scored an A on its Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) school-wide grade. In fact, DRS is the only SUS K-12 lab school that hasn’t made straight As on the FCAT since 2001-2002.
As part of an effort to help DRS reach its full potential, state Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson secured funding for a brand new $30.6 million school building. The facility, which opened in 2009, includes a gymnasium, cafeteria/auditorium, TV production room, and computer labs.
The initial enthusiasm created by the new building was hampered by Superintendent Ronald Holmes, whose actions have had a very negative effect on the school’s morale. Many teachers blame Holmes for not heeding their suggestions to help DRS maintain the progress that improved the school’s FCAT grade from an “F” in 2007 to a “C” in 2008. DRS dropped to a “D” in 2009.
Faculty members have also struggled within an atmosphere of fear following a series of highly publicized scares concerning their employment. Holmes’ failure to recruit enough students to satisfy the demands of this year’s budget threatened many teachers’ jobs.
Dedicated teachers, parents, and community volunteers have still worked hard and done their best to prepare students for the FCAT despite the lack of support from the superintendent.
NCS Pearson, the company in charge of grading the FCAT, is behind schedule in releasing the scores. President James Ammons says he is waiting to receive FAMU’s 2010 FCAT results before making a decision regarding Holmes’ contract, which expires this year. Ammons has until June 30 to decide what to do with Holmes.
If the same teachers are there and the same students what would you suggest be done to increase the FCAT scores? You said Holmes did a bad thing when he hired more teachers than he needed. You said he did a bad thing when he threaten to fire teachers last spring are there too many or to few teachers? Why not non renew every teacher which is not credentialed or actively seeking a credential? Why not hold back students which don't master materials? I don't believe replacing Holmes will have any effect on FCAT scores. Anyone at FAMU who fires any staff, or talks about replacing personnel with "qualified , certified, or people with terminal degrees" exercising managerial power is targeted by this blog.
ReplyDeletedamn shame!
ReplyDeleteVery simple, you can't get teachers when you are at the bottom of the scale in teacher pay. In essence you get what you pay for.
ReplyDeleteThe decision has been made, the question is how it is going to be managed to slide past the BOT.
He is coming back because he has no place to go and Rev Holmes is not going to let y'all railroad his brother out of there.
The word on the street is that the two "administrators" who have never been administrators will be the scapegoats in this and have either found or looking for new jobs.
What I really want to know is who would want to work there if they didn't have to under the present conditions, if I were a teacher, I would be trying to get out for more money, respect and piece of mind.
As an administrator, I am probably not qualified to go to another situation so I would shut up and make the best of the situation.
I laugh or cry each morning as I drive past this school because the fact is, this has become the biggest joke in the educational world.
"Very simple, you can't get teachers when you are at the bottom of the scale in teacher pay. In essence you get what you pay for."
ReplyDeleteThe solution is simple too. Lay off some number of teachers recapture their salaries and use it to hire certified teachers at market rates.
"What I really want to know is who would want to work there if they didn't have to under the present conditions, if I were a teacher, I would be trying to get out for more money, respect and piece of mind."
I agree, particularly given the risk of being associated with a failing school and the real damage it can do to your career. Teachers which work at high risk schools should be paid a premium "career hazard pay" . If the state wants to fire you as soon as the FCAT scores go to F.
"The decision has been made, the question is how it is going to be managed to slide past the BOT.
ReplyDeleteIf my job was toast anyway, I would propose to non renew non-credentialed teachers and use those funds to hire credential teachers at market rates and give raises to any credentialed teachers at DRS. At the end of the day thats all a good manager can do. Let the BOT get on the hook for having to non renew, non-credentialed teachers.
I would also suggest that a fair portion of the Dean of educations evaluation on how she has managed DRS. Now as an unmarried man I would be able to say that since I could easily move on to my next assignment. However this is what is meant by high risk high reward.
I meant to suggest that Dr. Holmes will remain as the head of the DRS no matter what and as far as the Dean of the Education school is concerned, I would agree that her evaluation should hold some accountablity about support or lack thereof for the DRS
ReplyDeleteJUNE 30TH
ReplyDelete"The more any quantitative social indicator (FCAT) is used for social decision (funding for DRS )-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor (education)." Campbells Law
ReplyDeleteIf there was ever an example of the validity of Campbell's law DRS is it. We have the corruption of the BOT, the distortion of the education of students at DRS.
The idea of holding the school and the teachers careers hostage to the performance of the students on the FCAT leads to all types of undesirable consequences. The test scores have become the goal of the teaching process, this causes the test to both lose their value as indicators of educational status and distort the educational process in bizarre ways. It should be the goal of the students and faculty of the FAMU college of education to expose the danger of high stakes testing to the people of the state of Florida. They have the perfect laboratory right there on Wanish way. Have they done one study written one scholarly paper on this subject?
They have the perfect laboratory right there on Wanish way. Have they done one study written one scholarly paper on this subject?
ReplyDeleteFirst, DRS needs a leader who can remember the title of his own dissertation.
Well that could be a problem doesn't say much for academic integrity. I would like to hear what kind of leader people would like to see. What qualities would they have?
ReplyDeleteWho are the students at the school? Are they the students of the people (adminstrators, professors and staff) who work at FAMU? I think UF's employee's kids go to their school. I am just saying that maybe that is the problem. If I had kids I would want them to go to a school that is associated with a university. Who are the kids parents?
ReplyDelete