Did Florida schools earn too many A’s and B’s?
Tampa Bay Times | By: Jeffrey S. Solochek | July 1, 2026
The big story: Florida officials cheered Wednesday’s release of 2026 school grades, in which 76% earned an A or B, with 60% increasing their mark or maintaining an A.
“Florida continues to prove that high expectations, expanded school choice and strong accountability produce real results for students,” outgoing education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said in a released statement.
The high level of success raised eyebrows at the Foundation for Florida’s Future, a think tank formed by former Gov. Jeb Bush, who initiated the letter grade system in 1999.
Students and teachers worked hard, foundation executive director Patricia Levesque said, and they deserve credit for that effort.
“However, when more than three-quarters of schools are rated ‘A’ or ‘B’, the system is sending a clear signal that the bar is set too low and there’s a disconnect between the grades schools are receiving and the academic outcomes students are achieving,” Levesque said in a statement.
School grades offer important accountability for academic performance, she said, providing clear and consistent expectations for families and communities. But they must provide a useful measure, based on rigorous standards.
In recent years, Florida has faced criticism for the model from groups that argue that the percentage of points needed to earn an A is too low. At the same time, the state is being sued for not holding private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers to the same accountability requirements.
“It’s time for Florida’s leaders to recalibrate the bar, recommit to high expectations and measure what truly matters,” Levesque said. “If Florida is to drive improvement and reclaim its position as the national leader in student achievement over states like Mississippi, then holding schools to a higher bar is the critical first step.”
