Amelia Larson has worked for a few years as an assistant superintendent for student achievement in the Pasco County School District in Florida. Now she is resigning, and going out with something of a blast. Larson wrote a formal resignation letter — apparently requested by Superintendent Kurt Browning — and in it she savages Florida’s “accountability system” for schools that relies on high-stakes standardized testing. (See text below.) The Tampa Bay Times wrote about her resignation, which comes amid a growing backlash against high-stakes testing in Florida — where test-based “accountability” began about 15 years ago under then-Gov. Jeb Bush — and elsewhere across the country. Larson’s letter slams the system in Florida: Florida’s current system is reckless and will inevitably hurt the very children it is aiming to protect while also alienating the very professionals it needs to carry the work. While serving as assistant superintendent over the past two years, I have always asked the question of every situation: ‘Is this best for kids?’ My answer to Florida’s current accountability system is, ‘No, this is absolutely not good for kids.’” Larson’s tenure in Pasco schools has not been without controversy. In July she led a delegation to an education conference in North Carolina on a trip that, the Times reported, “appeared to violate Florida’s open meeting law in obtaining permission” to attend. She was also involved in a June incident when a parent complained about the appropriateness of a book that was on the eighth-grade summer reading list, “Paper Towns” by John Green; the book was removed from the list, apparently in violation of a district policy about taking action on a single complaint, and Larson was quoted by the Times as saying that the book was “racy” and that she was “concerned that book had been assigned for eighth grade.” Browning, the Times reported, announced Larson’s resignation in a memo to principals that contained no expression of regret that she was leaving. It said in part: As you are well aware, there has been a great deal of change during the last two years. Change is inevitable. That being said, I wanted you to know that Amelia Larson, Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement, is leaving the district. As is the case with many of us, we often times want to pursue other opportunities. We wish her the very best in these pursuits! I want to assure you that our vision and mission have not and will not change. What will change is a refocused priority for supporting our schools. washingtonpost/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/12/no-this-is-absolutely-not-good-for-kids/
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 22:23:40 +0000
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