Legislation
It is early days, but education bills are emerging. Here are two that still need Senate companion bills.
HB 253 Rep. Duran, D. Miami. The Bright Futures Scholarship recipients must log 30 hours per year volunteer work. already has a GPA requirement and repayment if grades fall.
HB 303 Rep. Daniels, D. Jacksonville. The bill will allow religious expression in course work, activities, and personal attire. School employees must be allowed to participate in religious activities.
I don’t think requiring community service hours adds anything. The goal of a scholarship is to “free” a student from having to work in order to concentrate on studies– and what if the student already has to work to pay for his/her schooling/housing/other costs?
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/07/13126/alec-2016-agenda-boosts-charters-coal-and-other-corporate-funders
A $20 billion dollar charter expansion promise by President Trump is certainly a big carrot for the corporate reform movement. To put this into perspective, between Bill Clinton’s and Obama’s administrations,$3 billion was invested in charters from tax funds. With a $20 billion up for grabs, you can bet the corporate lobbyists are sharpening up their pencils to sit next to legislators and write up some “models bills” to then be pushed through to become laws.
If there is one thing we have learned from the Women’s March it is, grass root organization is paramount for change and accomplishing a movement. If we are going to stand up against the privatization of our public schools and protect traditional public schools, we need to stay on top of legislation and start organizing through out the state of Florida. It is well known that legislators respond quickly to out pouring of descent, particularly among their constituents.
The education committee in WPB last session closely followed legislation opposing local school board control and bills supporting privatization of public schools. We made telephone calls, sent emails and postcards to state legislators. We did some good, but imagine if all the school districts in the state worked together and demanded accountability and transparency among charters. Get political or lose public education. Lose public education and lose our democracy,
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