Florida’s education system tends to get a bad reputation around the U.S., and as if it didn’t have enough marks against it already, high school and middle school students in about 20 Florida counties just found their math finals invalidated after test proctors gave them the wrong calculators.
But that’s quite alright, because technical difficulties aside, their scores would have been meaningless in the first place.
Florida announced on Monday that final exams for algebra and geometry courses won’t be counting toward student course grades or grade promotions.
This is due to an independent validity study of the exams, which won’t be passing muster until after report cards are released.
Due to this these bureaucratic developments, most students won’t need to retake their exams, but tough luck to anyone hoping that their exam grade was going to turn their class grade around.
Bravo, Florida, you just wasted an incalculable amount of time and stress for about 500,000 high schoolers and middle schoolers all over the bloody state and essentially rendered 30 percent of their grades a moot point. For this, we give the Florida education system an overly numerical DART.
On a more positive note, Monday is Memorial Day.
When you think about Memorial Day weekend, many people think of going to the beach and grilling hot dogs or going on a road trip and staying in a sleazy motel with close friends.
But the reality is this: Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, was established after the American Civil War to remember the Union and Confederate soldiers who died.
We understand that the topic of war is one that most of us avoid.
Our reasons for going to war have been controversial throughout history, which has undoubtedly caused tension between those with different viewpoints.
We get it. It’s a sticky topic.
But here’s another reality: We need to support our soldiers.
Whether or not you agree with the war, look at the soldiers as individuals.
Don’t simplify them to a measly number in the equation. Many of them have families waiting back home for them. Many of them will die seemingly unnoticed, or return with scars, both on their bodies and on their minds.
The least we can do is show our support and appreciation.
So try this out: thank a soldier, whether you see them in uniform on the street or if it’s someone you know personally.
Just take the time to say thank you because none of us will ever be able to understand what their reality is when they come home, or what their family’s reality is when they do not.
So this week, we give two LAURELS: one to the soldiers and one to those who support them.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 5/20/15]
