Oh, the irony of it all

I just posted this entry to the Journalism Education blog on Poynter.org. Knowing, however, how few of my faithful readers also faithfully follow Poynter--much less the JE blog on Poynter--I reprint it here for your enjoyment and edification.

During the 2005-2006 school year, Florida Department of Education instructed record clerks throughout the state to code the records of transferring students in particular ways.

[Note: When you start reading through the education bill the Legislature has to review/revise each year, then all the procedural instructions that emanate from the legislation, then all the practical instructions not covered under the procedural instructions, you begin to understand why teaching/learning seems to be last on the list. And you realize that people like records clerks--often pulling double duty as receptionists and other aides--are probably undervalued.]

Back to the FDOE coding during 2005-2006. Here's the instruction given regarding courses a student may have taken to fulfill the practical arts requirement that year (http://www.fldoe.org/FASTER/manl0506/appx-i4.htm ):

The Practical Arts graduation requirement may be fulfilled by substituting one of the basic Computer Education (CE) courses on a curriculum equivalency basis. The course numbers that can be used are 0200300-0200380, 0200800-0200810, 0201300-0201360, 0201380 and 0200890. If a substitution is made the Computer Education course should contain a 1 in the Course Flag field. The Practical Arts graduation requirement also may be fulfilled by the completion of the JROTC program 1800300-1800360, or 1801300-1801330, or 1802300-1802330, or 1803300-1803330, or 1804300-1804350. If that substitution is made, the JROTC courses should contain a zero (0) in the Course Flag field. The Practical Arts graduation requirement may also be fulfilled by Journalism 1006300-1006330. If that substitution is made, the Journalism course should contain a dollar sign ($) in the Course Flag field.

You did catch that last sentence, didn't you? :-)