HOLD THE DATE: March for Public Education July 22

A national march/rally for public education is being organized in Washington D.C. on July 22th.  Sister marches will be held across the country.  We will organize one in Alachua County.  I hope each of you will reach out to do something in your area.

The organizers are teachers, counselors, and others supporting public education.  This is just getting organized.  See the plans below:

 

Information on the July 22nd DC March for Public Education from the Facebook event.  This is not a Women’s March-approved event…yet.

CALL TO ACTION – 4/27/17 – 5/4/17 MARCH FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION SHARE INITIATIVE

We were there for the Women’s March, we marched for Science, NOW it is time to March for Public Education. Right now we have THREE months from our date for the July march. We wanted to let you know that we have contacted the National Parks Service regarding our march and have completed the permit for a march on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

One important detail that remains, however, is WHO will attend. That is a detail that we cannot complete without YOU. I truly believe the next national march should be about public education, and now is the time to begin to make that happen. We need to share this GROUP and EVENT with as many people as possible right now. We are the only group, as far as we know, planning to bring a national march for public education this year.

So, for this SHARE INITIATIVE we have THREE big asks:


1) SHARE & SIGN UP FOR THE EVENT
We have selected the date! Please share this event and sign up if you can make it! Here is the link:
2) ORGANIZE
WE NEED YOUR HELP! While the leadership team has worked hard to establish connections with allies, create content such as videos and inform on legislation, we are ready to branch out and expand our team. If you are interested in joining our team to expand our social media presence or host a satellite march, we need to hear from you this week.
3) ADD NEW MEMBERS

Eagle Arts Charter in Chaos But OPEN in Palm Beach

For over two years, this scandal drags on in one of Palm Beach’s largest charter schools.  Now the school is in complete chaos.  Principals come and go within weeks of each other.  One third of the teachers have left. Books do not arrive.  The owner of the school has legal issues.  He charged the school for preparing the proposal to open the school.  He also has a combative personality.

When parents complained, he attacked.  He called the sheriff claiming a parent hacked into his computer system.  Why?  The parent had organized an online petition to clean up the school’s management problems.  Over two hundred families left the school.  He recruited more with glossy ads emphasizing an arts infused curriculum.  The much heralded dance program had no teacher.  Children wanting to play instruments had to pay extra for after school lessons.

Some children love the carefree atmosphere, but their test scores have plummeted.  The school grade is down to a ‘D’.  Forty percent of the students passed the State’s English Language Arts test and 24% passed the math.  This is not a low income school, yet it is near the bottom in academic achievement.

Who is to blame for this fiasco?  The district is investigating, but the charter school law does not give them authority to clean up the mess until serious criminal charges or total academic failure are evident.  Self dealing is evidently still allowed.

Parents are told they can leave; that is their only recourse.  The State of Florida does not intervene.  After all, even though charters are ‘public schools’, they are run by private businesses.  If a businessman wants to run the school into the ground, he can.

I watched a similar situation occur in Gainesville.  Watching was all I could do.  Half the parents and most teachers left.  The school district shook their heads.  The school is still open.  The only thing public in charter schools is the money funding them.

This is the direction the Florida legislature is headed.  If we want it stopped, they need to know.  Tell them over and over again.

 

 

 

 

The Worst of a Bad Budget

The League is adding its voice to calls for a veto of HB 7069.  Share with everyone.  We need a blitz.

The WORST of a BAD BUDGET

Florida revenue is up, but education funding has been cut.  The legislature sent a message that our schools, teachers, and students are not valued.  What’s the evidence?

House bill HB 7069:

 

 

 

 

  • Substitutes a teacher bonus system for a few rather than give all teachers a needed raise in spite of a looming teacher shortage. Teachers in most charters have lower salaries and no benefits which seems to be the attraction to many politicians even if quality is compromised.
  • Takes desperately needed local school facility funding and gives it to privately owned charters. Miami-Dade schools alone estimate an $81 million dollar loss.
  • Strips local control of low performing schools from districts and turns them over to charter chains. Then, it provides $140 million in State funds to these privately owned chains.
  • Creates High Impact Charter Systems that are independent of locally elected school boards. If things go wrong, parents must complain to Tallahassee.

The Florida House promotes school choice instead of supporting schools governed by elected school boards.  The consequences are becoming clear.  The U.S. Department of Civil Rights cited Florida for increasing segregation through its charter system.  Charters also select fewer students with disabilities and language learners.

It is time to recognize that, in the charter system, parents do not choose schools; schools choose students.  If the choice does not work, the students are ‘counseled out’.

Charters have high teacher turnover, real estate debt, and according to the national CREDO Urban Cities study, lower student achievement than comparable public school students.  After three years, Florida public school students, initially matched on test scores, clearly out performed charter students in five of seven of our cities.

Parents do have a choice to make.  Will they ask Governor Scott to veto this attempt to take over our schools?  Will they tell the legislature that our children deserve better?