UnitED For Florida Children

K-12 schools, universities and businesses across the nation are using an online app called Zoom for video meetings to help facilitate connections while working/learning remote. Every day, new information is coming out regarding the privacy concerns of this well-known app. Below is a compilation of the issues we have come across that we think everyone … More Not worried about Zoom?  We think you should be. Here’s why.

A new bill titled HB 7079 was introduced in the Florida House last week. This bill has already passed through one subcommittee, and is expected to continue to move through the committee process very quickly. All parents of children in Florida public schools should be concerned about this bill. It has the potential to disrupt … More HB 7079 – Closing Schools Hurts the Community

As this parent learned, and most parents and teachers know, children are much more than test scores. Tests can’t predict how successful a child will be in life. They can’t measure independence, resilience, kindness, diligence, or all of the other qualities we all want our children to master. Why then, does Governor DeSantis want to … More Tests Don’t Make Kids Smarter: A Letter to Governor DeSantis

Thank you Mike Gondolfo, (President of Pinellas County Teacher’s Association), for your message to the Pinellas County School Board. It’s time for lawmakers to step up and stop the unfunded mandates and abusive high stakes tests attached to teacher pay, along with larger class sizes! It’s time to listen to those speaking up for what … More Speak up in support of teachers!

by Heide Janshon There has been a great deal of “I doth protest” from districts and superintendents when the case is made attaching the Common Core State Standards (or any standards for that matter) to the high stakes standardized tests used to evaluate teachers, give schools a grade, and of course, determine standards mastery by … More Separating Testing from the Common Core State Standards is like tearing muscle from bone

As a result of a bill by titled HB7069 which passed in 2017, many schools across the state have faced the threat of potential closure if they receive lower than a “C” grade for two years or more. Based on data from the FL DOE, an estimated 79 schools faced this fate this past school … More School Closures Should be Local Decisions

by: Heide Janshon Dear parents, I’m sure you’ve been terrified by all sorts of claims that the Third Grade ELA FSA (English Language Arts Florida Standards Assessment) determines whether your child is retained or promoted.  Please read on and stand firmly on the fact that you are informed, empowered and can rest in the knowledge … More What exactly determines Third Grade retention?