WHO'S GRADING YOUR CHILD'S FCAT...AND ARE THEY QUALIFIED TO DO SO?

The Tallahassee Democrat is reporting this morning that Democratic state senators are calling for the Florida Department of Education to investigate the use of what it called "low wage, temporary" employees hired by contractor CTB/ McGraw-Hill and Kelly Services to grade the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

Senate Minority Leader Les Miller (D - Tampa) says that the $10/hour temps are only required to have a bachelor's degree and pass a one week training course. He complained Wednesday that they are not qualified to grade the essay questions, which are a large part of a student's score.

FDOE spokeswoman Cathy Schroeder says more than half of the 600 temps hired have teaching experience, but was not able to give an exact figure. She also said that the department would not comment on Senator Miller's demand for an investigation until it receives an official request.

"We know the lawmakers are only expressing the concerns of their constituents and that parents are concerned."

Considering how important this test is to a kid's academic future, not to mention a school's standing and ability to gain resources, I would certainly want to know who's grading the tests. There's nothing wrong with testing children to determine what areas need to be improved in our schools, but FCAT needs to be put in the proper overall context instead of being the primary determining factor for students and schools alike.