Lee schools received a “B” rating again this year. We need to do better by our children! Yet, due to our politicians in Tallahassee, we’re wasting time and money pulling books off shelves and re-writing curriculum because a few parents feel “uncomfortable.”
I cast no blame on teachers and administrators. They’re trying desperately to address student needs while maneuvering thoughtless new laws and fearing reprisals. Instead of focusing on teaching and learning, teachers spend costly hours and thousands of taxpayer dollars on unfunded mandates
There’s a direct correlation between effective instructional resources and student learning. Yet, 88,000 books pulled from classrooms last summer are still waiting to be “assessed” and “approved.” Classroom libraries provide relevant, meaningful, curriculum-based opportunities that expand learning. The more children read, the better they get at it. Put all the books back, let kids choose what they want to read, and reading achievement will improve.
Student attendance is declining. Children can’t learn if they’re not in school. Maybe some absences are due to the elimination of daycare bus stops? Many parents are at work during bus times and have to choose between missing work without pay or keeping older children home to walk younger siblings to their stops. Instead of wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars on senseless book reviews, redirect those funds to reinstate daycare stops.