The Florida Citizens Alliance (FLCA), a vocal education watchdog, is pressing Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislators to gut Florida’s public school grading system, citing a “major crisis” masked by inflated scores.
Their call to action, sparked by a damning review of 2024 Florida Department of Education (DOE) data, accuses the state of papering over failing schools with a curved grading scale that obscures dismal performance.
Under traditional U.S. grading—where below 60% is an F—the FLCA says 52% of Florida’s public schools would flunk, based on DOE numbers. Even worse, only 18% scored 70 or higher, barely scraping a C.
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“Eighty-two percent of our schools are effectively D or lower,” said Keith Flaugh, FLCA co-founder, blasting the DOE’s curve as a “PR stunt” to dodge accountability. “They’re persuading taxpayers we’ve got the best schools in the nation, but the data says otherwise.”
The group’s critique lands amid Florida’s shaky national standing: 43rd in SAT scores and near the bottom on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), dubbed the Nation’s Report Card.
Flaugh ties this to a “systemic failure,” pointing to lax graduation standards that churn out diploma-holders lacking basic skills.
He referenced a recent out-of-state lawsuit where a graduate sued her district for illiteracy—a scenario he warns could hit Florida next.
“Just this week, we have seen media reports about a young woman who is suing a school system in another state because she was given a diploma, but says she is unable to read or write,” said Flaugh. “It wouldn’t be surprising to see similar cases emerge in Florida, as this highlights a systemic failure to uphold basic education standards mandated by our Florida State Constitution.”
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A Connecticut honors graduate is suing her school district, alleging she is functionally illiterate despite graduating with honors and receiving a scholarship to the University of Connecticut. Aleysha Ortiz, 19, claims that after 12 years in the Hartford Public School system, she cannot read or write.
FLCA wants the curve scrapped for a raw, transparent scale and tougher graduation benchmarks to ensure literacy and numeracy. The DOE defends its system, arguing it incentivizes improvement and aligns with federal metrics, but FLCA sees it as a shield for mediocrity.
With the legislative session in full swing, the group’s push tests DeSantis’ education legacy—long a point of pride—against mounting evidence of a system in distress. Lawmakers now face a choice: reform or double down.
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