I was never polled. Were you? Then again, the Florida Chamber of Commerce usually doesn't elicit my opinion. angry.gif

It doesn't matter, because the only polls that matter are the polls taken at school board meetings when members vote on the question of whether or not to participate in RTTT.

The Seminole School Board has already voted once not to participate, but Dr. Vogel will raise the question again at the School Board meeting this coming Tuesday. Now, that will be a historic vote!

Read the blog, click through to read the poll, and, please, post a comment on orlandosentinel.com.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_educ...1#comment-26432

Let's use this blog to let people know how educators feel about RTTT.

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Race to the top poll: Strong majority in FL supports grant plans

In case you wondered if Race to the Top had become a “hot” topic….

A poll released today by the Florida Chamber of Commerce (a Race to the Top supporter. See earlier post today) shows that 67 percent of Floridians have a favorable opinion of the federal grant program.

The poll (which surveyed 600 residents last week) also found that 6 percent think the state’s teachers unions should oppose Florida’s application and 51 percent think they should support it.

Race to the Top is the federal government’s competitve, school reform grant that offers some $4.35 billion to states willing to reform their public schools. The federal government set out four broad categories on which the reform plans must be based, and each state is drafting its own application, which is due in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 19.

Florida’s proposed plan has upset state teachers unions, in part because it calls for tying teacher evaluations, pay and performance to student growth on standardized tests. The Florida Education Association has called the plan “fatally flawed” and urged local unions not to sign on as partners.

Each school district in Florida can decide if it whats to sign Florida’s application. If it doesn’t, it is not guaranteed any money. The grant could net Florida up to $900 million. ...

Interestingly, the poll done by the business-supported group also found that 73 percent of those surveyed think public schools are inadequately funded and that 56 percent think things in Florida “have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track.”