[Gary Dillard]

Hi Neil. Sorry to hear that the issue hasn't improved (I've posted on the FCAT problem in the forums before). Here's some additional background if it helps you push your case (going from memory here but I'm pretty sure it's accurate) - I tried running these things to ground but always hit a road block.

1) The FCAT date ranges are set by the state, but the county determines some of the specific test dates. I tried to get the academy advisor to present the conflict to the appropriate people at the school board (department of assessment) prior to the schedule being published but didn't get any support.
2) All of the testing during that period is not necessarily FCAT. In 2008 part of the testing was actually the NRT (not required for students to graduate, just a school assessment test). Not sure if that is the case this year.
3) If you read the "blackout period" policy (the link on the school board website doesn't work), it was pretty clear to me that the intent is considerably different from the way it is being applied. Here is what the Palm Beach County Student handbook says:

FCAT Blackout Period
Each year our school district takes very seriously that schools are teaching the standards and preparing for the state testing (FCAT). To minimize the interruptions in the final preparation for these tests, district meetings are not scheduled for school based personnel (teachers and administrators) from late January through the March testing. This period is referred to as the FCAT Blackout Period.

It says nothing about field trips or extracurricular events, but it is being universally applied that way. If they took the time to put a paragraph in the student handbook about a blackout period and the only impact they mention is the lack of district meetings during that time, doesn't that seem like that's all it affects? I pointed this out to the principal and he said he was sure that it was being applied as the superintendent intended, but I was never able to discuss that with Dr. Johnson.

4) One option to consider is to contact the media, one of the local TV stations - I think if you point out the impact this blackout period is having on the educational opportunities for students it will make a good story. Show them the inconsistency in the blackout policy wording and how it is being applied. It is more than robotics - while googling for the blackout policy I found an article from the local arts coordinator who said that museums are impacted when scheduling special programs. I suspect that will have a large influence.

I had to fight a problem with the bookkeeper at the school up here, which I didn't discover until build season when I was going to order material. She stated that I had to get approval ahead of time for all expenses rather than getting reimbursed. She said if I wanted to change the policy I'd have to contact my legislator because it was "state law". After waiting 2 weeks for the approval, I called the school board (after I couldn't find the "state law") and they said it was just their general policy, but they understood the impact to our build season and said they would make an exception so I could proceed. It cost us 1/3 of our build season but we're set for next year. If you can find the right people, sometimes you can get a change made.