The Jacksonville Times offers a depressing look inside Andrew Jackson High School, one of 64 failing Florida schools, revealing a "battle zone of academic frustration" and blame that's unlikely to change anytime soon. A lengthy article explains how teachers, many of them resentful or wary of the FCAT exam and of legislators' relentless demands for change, cope with passive, preoccupied and troubled students and reticent or combative parents. On the left coast, by contrast, a high school once written off as hopeless has undergone a remarkable transformation under the no-nonsense leadership of a new principal. To the disbelief of state auditors, in less than a year a formerly chaotic and unruly campus has evolved into an educational institution with orderly halls, effective teaching techniques, and weekend sessions for teachers to develop new curricula aligned with state standards. "Inside an F school: frustration, angst," by Laura Diamond, Jacksonville Times, November 17, 2002, and "State praises turnaround at school," by Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2002
