LWVeducation
I have something positive to say about the Walton Foundation report on online charters. Yes, it is true that the Foundation has spent billions of dollars on school choice and launched many online charter schools. They decided to evaluate their investment, however, and the results were very disturbing.
Florida has charter fraud problems and so does Ohio–among other states. Privatization of schools opens up opportunities for profiteering without oversight. The federal government has finally gotten involved in the Ohio charter scandals. It took awhile. They are holding up a $71 million grant to they had awarded to expand charters. This is one of those scandals from which the Governor cannot hide.
Academica, the largest charter for profit management firm, strikes again. This is one of those stories that has sequels. Last year, I posted a story from the Miami Herald about Doral Academy high school. It ‘loaned’ $400,000 of public money to Doral College to launch an online dual enrollment program. Doral College was unaccredited and had no students. Both the charter high school and the college are operated by Academica. The auditor took exception…again.
Money talks. This budget battle speaks volumes about what is important in the legislature this year. Everyone promises more money to education–sort of. The biggest issue is over how much of the increase local property taxes must pick up. Governor Scott allocates 85% of the increase to local communities. Senator Gaetz has expressed concern about the tax burden on local property taxes. He is suggesting a 50-50 split between the State budget and the local effort. There is likely to be about a $175 increase per student which will at least equal the 2007 funding.
This is how the money wars break down:
Governor Scott: $500 million increase with $75 million each for charters and public school facilities
House: $601 million increase with $90 million for charters and $50 million for public school facilities
Senate: $650 million increase with $ 50 million only for public schools
There is another battle brewing over funding for school facilities. As long as so many charters are run by for-profit companies, it is hard to be sympathetic to charter claims that they deserve more public money for their privately owned school buildings. Representative Fresen is leading the charge for facilities funding for charters this year. He is trying to discredit public school construction projects. He argues that the 650 charter schools should receive $90 million for facilities while the nearly 4,000 traditional public schools would receive only $50 million.
The fact that Representative Fresen’s wife and brother-in-law run Academica, the largest for-profit charter management firm with 100 schools, would not factor into his thinking, of course. You do remember that these large management firms have their own real estate companies that buy and/or lease facilities to the charter boards. Some of these leases are over a million dollars per year.
It is time to say ‘No’ to constitutional amendments that strip local control of schools.
The League of Women Voters has issued an ACTION ALERT. Two bills have been filed to amend the Florida Constitution:
HJR 7059 would strip local school district authority to approve charter schools and place the authority in a state controlled charter institute.
HJR 530 would allow cities to withdraw from county school districts and form their own.
We need to OPPOSE these bills. CLICK HERE to see how.
Everyone wants more money for education this year, but where will it come from? Governor Scott’s plan includes $507 million more, but 85% comes from local property taxes. The House plan calls for $601 million with 84% from local property taxes. The Senate plan has a larger increase $650 million, and for now a similar percentage for local effort. Senator Gaetz, however, will roll out alternative funding formulas that could increase the state share.
Florida and Arizona are the big school choice states. Nationally, most (86%) of children attend traditional public schools. In Florida, about 80% of school age children attend public schools. Not surprising is the fact that both states are near the bottom in public school funding. Somehow choice is marketed as a way to improve educational opportunity, but the reality is different. Choice is cheaper but not better. A summary of the National School Board report follows. The full report can be accessed here.
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by Eileen Roy, Chair Alachua County School Board
The Soul of Public Education
We all need to write more letters. Eileen presided when Khanh-Lien spoke before the Alachua County School Board last week about 5forChange. Eileen quietly cheered. Then she wrote a letter to the Gainesville Sun. Read this one and get inspired.
by Judy Palay, Collier County
Is it OK to read Harry Potter in school? Collier County has a fight on its school board over the review of instructional materials in schools. Parents on both sides have organized.
There is a bill in the legislature that removes district control of instructional materials. Judy Palay reports on the conflict and the reasons why many parents oppose SB 1018/HB 899 and others support it.
Representative Caldwell and Senator Brandes are looking for feedback. Their bill HJR 530 would allow cities to withdraw from county school districts and form their own district. Of course, cities have the revenue. Thus, the remainder of the counties would be strapped for cash. There is criticism about the proposal even among other Republican party members. The bill, if passed, would become a constitutional amendment.
Since the legislators have asked for feedback, we should provide some.
Send your thoughts to:
