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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Randi Weingarten: Wrecking balls, world-class schools and SB 736 | Gradebook | tampabay.com & St. Petersburg Times

Wrecking balls, world-class schools and SB 736 | Education articles blog on schools in Florida & Tampa Bay: the Gradebook | tampabay.com & St. Petersburg Times

Wrecking balls, world-class schools and SB 736

Here's the press release round-up on reaction to Gov. Rick Scott's signing of SB 736.

From Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers:

Today Florida Gov. Rick Scott took a wrecking ball to the dreams and aspirations of the state’s public school students by imposing a test- and sanction-driven education policy that rejects the proven educational strategies of the world’s highest-achieving nations. Florida’s so-called Teacher Quality Act repudiates the successful approach used by the top-performing nations—Finland, Singapore and South Korea—which embraces collaboration, values professionalism, respects teachers and provides the support educators and kids need to succeed.

Scott and his allies have rammed through legislation that will undermine Florida’s