Florida families win suit over standardized tests (mostly)

Be still my beating heart, someone actually had the guts to stand up to a right-wing school system - and for the most part, they won!

Some years back, that piece of shit Jeb Bush ordered Florida schools to force kids to repeat 3rd grade if they "failed" their standardized test - even if they otherwise passed the year. The social promotion "epidemic" was a hoax, by the way. There was no big outbreak of schools promoting kids to the next grade when they didn't earn it. If there was, why the fuck did Brossart make me repeat my sophomore year?

In any event, Bush's fiat remained largely unchallenged for years. But recently, some parents of 3rd graders opted their children out of the omnivorous standardized test. As a result, their schools tried making them repeat 3rd grade - even though some were honors students.

Following this, the parents quite rightly sued the schools.

Now a judge has granted most of what the families wanted. The court ordered the school districts to follow a different method for promoting students as outlined by state law. The judge said the students' excellent report cards were sufficient reason to advance them to 4th grade.

You lose, Jeb. The people win.

(Sources: http://patch.com/us/across-america/parents-florida-sue-after-third-graders-are-held-back-confusing-state-rules;
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/testing/judges-ruling-is-a-blow-to-floridas-third-grade-testing-rules/2291158)