Month: May 2014

  • EDITORIAL: Gerrymandering Takes the Stand

    EDITORIAL: Gerrymandering Takes the Stand

    The Biggest Trial in Florida That Few Are Following Summary One of the most important trials in recent Florida history is currently occurring in Tallahassee.  Most Floridians are not following it very closely – if at all. The trial grows out of a suit contending that the design of Florida’s congressional districts violates the state’s…

  • EDITORIAL: New Toxins and GMOs Headed Our Way

    EDITORIAL: New Toxins and GMOs Headed Our Way

    New Toxins and New GMOs Headed Our Way: The Next Roundup for the GMO Corral Summary A new poison may soon be coming to an ecosystem near you.  This is Dow Chemical’s Enlist Duo, a close relative to Monsanto’s aggressively marketed and wildly popular Roundup.  Dow’s powerful herbicide is on the fast track to approval…

  • OPINION: Teachers Say VAM Evaluations Are Flawed

    OPINION: Teachers Say VAM Evaluations Are Flawed

    Teachers Say VAM Evaluations are Flawed Marc Yacht, MD, MPH Many of Florida’s public school teachers see little value in the value-added-model (VAM) teacher evaluation process that’s being used this year. Also labeled “value added analysis” or “value added assessment,” the evaluation tool is tied to student testing results. VAM assesses how one student’s scores…