Orlando teacher slams FCAT in YouTube video

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A University High School teacher took to a stage earlier this year to criticize the way Florida's children are taught.

Josh Katz said the education system doesn't take into account students who are homeless, haven't eaten or learned basic life skills. The only thing that matters, Katz said, is that they pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test test.

"Those students are marginalized by what I call a toxic culture of education," said Katz, who is critical of his own profession.

Katz posted his ode to education on YouTube, telling the world that rating schools by testing is ridiculous and that taxpayer money should not be spent outside the public system.

"No matter what the teacher tells the student about how good they are or what talents they have, if the student doesn't score well on that high-stakes test, the third graders know exactly what that means and begins to define themselves," he said.

More than 30,000 people have watched Katz's video, and he hopes they were listening.

"When students find their voice, that's when we will see change," he said. "If that is what comes of this, I don't care about the backlash."

WFTV