May 18, 2013
Church leaders and other community activists are planning an economic boycott of key Florida industries unless Gov. Jeb Bush and other state officials reassess the significance of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Over 12,000 Florida's high school seniors have yet to meet the FCAT requirements, meaning they potentially will NOT be allowed to graduate. In response, a group of about two dozen South Florida pastors, lawmakers and community leaders plans to boycott Florida's sugar, citrus and tourism industries on May 22 unless Bush amends the FCAT standards.
Bush is one of the biggest proponents of using the FCAT to measure schools' improvement. Students in grades three through ten take versions of the test, which forms the foundation for grading schools, rewarding them for improvement and granting vouchers when they don't improve.
Bush said Saturday the FCAT "will continue to be the catalyst for rising student achievement."
