Local Teacher: Pressure On Students Is 'Atrocious'

Although some folks say there were not surprised when reports surfaced of Pinellas County school grades dropping, there are others who have a different opinion.

Amanda Gardner-Jimenez is a local teacher for a magnet program and had quite a bit to say about the current state of Pinellas County education, in addition to its past.

Gardner-Jimenez wrote on Tarpon Springs Patch's Facebook page:

"The pressure put on students by principals, teachers, parents and themselves is atrocious. But the principals are being pressured and given unachievable tasks."

Gardner-Jimenez added an instance of a 7-year-old student being hospitalized at the start of standardized testing last year. 

According to Gardner-Jimenez, she goes above and beyond what's asked of her as an educator by getting to know students and their families as well as writing letters back and forth to her kids over the summer. 

To conclude her comment, Garnder-Jimenez wrote, "I'm just a teach, what do I know?"