More than a thousand teachers, many waving signs critical of Florida’s education system blasted the Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. Rick Scott during a rally last week at the state Capitol.
The protesters complained about the state’s reliance on high-stakes testing. And they took aim at the level of money going to schools, private school vouchers, and a contentious new bonus system that is partially tied to the scores that teachers earned on college admission tests.
The rally was organized by the Florida Education Association, the union that represents teachers.
The teacher protests follow a tumultuous time as Florida has transitioned to a new high-stakes test that is based primarily on common-core standards. The rollout of the test last spring was marred by glitches and even a cyberattack, but state officials have moved ahead with plans to use the results to grade schools.
