MELBOURNE, Fla. (WTVR) — A Florida school system is under fire because its teachers have been handing out caffeinated soda to students before they take state achievement tests.
News of the controversy came to light after one grandmother blew the whistle on what was happening.
Martha Thorptold News 13that she was shocked when her 10-year-old granddaughter told her that she and her classmates had been given Mountain Dew every morning before taking Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
School leaders confirmed that students at Dr. W.J. Creel Elemtary School, which has tallied some of the highest test scores in the state, were offered Mountain Dew and trail mix and before testing, but said that no children were forced to drink the soda.
“To me, it’s a poor precedent. We’re setting for young children that they should be hyped up before a test,” said Thorp, who is a former teacher. “I don’t believe that anyone but the parent should be able to give permission for that type of drink to be given to a child.”
However, after Thorp’s complaint, the school system announced the 10-year-old practice came to an end Tuesday. The elementary school will now only offer water to students taking standardized tests.
