LWVeducation
‘New Mexico’s education department is in court. So are those in 12 other states, including Florida. This lawsuit is about money, but not just the amount of money. In New Mexico, the population is different from many states, and the needs are greater.
Meredith Machen sent information about their state that helps to better understand the challenges they face. Take heart, some public education advocates are winning in court.
We have all heard about violence in some schools. This second piece in the Tampa Bay Times on the Pinellas County failing schools should have a disturbing warning. It is not disturbing, it is frightening. Ignoring problems makes them worse, much worse.
I hesitated to post this story, but we need to know what happens when those who can, flee and refuse to deal with who is left. This is the picture that some paint about the impact of socio-economic resegregation of our schools. We can avoid this scenario if we have the will and the common sense not to divide our communities. Behaviors can be managed if the children receive the help they need.
Broward Schools are struggling to make things right. Sometimes you may try too hard. This time the district is determined to avoid corruption or even the appearance of it. The voters have told the district to spend money and improve the schools, and getting that to happen is harder than it seems. I am interested in how public school districts are trying to meet the challenges they confront. I hope you are too. Read Margery’s account of a good problem that still makes the news.
Who is at fault when schools fail? School reformers say “Teachers” or “Rule Bound School Districts”. The Tampa Bay Times is running a series on something much more basic. Using examples of five of the worst failing schools in Florida, the authors cite the decline of these schools since the 2007 decision to abolish the school integration plan in Pinellas County. At the time, promises were made but not kept.Continue reading
Why would the Florida legislature appropriate over $44 million to give $10,000 bonuses to teachers who had high ACT/SAT test scores when they were in high school? Some teachers took the tests years ago, and verifying their scores is next to impossible.
Encouraging young, bright people to seek careers in education is a good thing. Awarding a bonus might tempt some to teach for a year or two, but teacher turnover is high. A one time bonus would not help much. There may be another reason.
The Florida LWV legislative priorities are coming due. Please make your voices heard within your local leagues. In order to be able to advocate for our Education Team issues, we have to make it into the top priorities statewide.
Make education tops for your local league. Here is a list of topics we expect to come up in the legislative session. Remember that committee meetings start in September.
On the radio this morning, I heard a story about the latest pitch for facilities funding from the charter school advocates. This one was to the State Board of Education.
It signals the latest attempt by the charter industry to tap into facilities funding for traditional public schools. Public schools need to renovate old buildings and upgrade technology infrastructure. Charters do not have to meet traditional public school state facility standards. Charters are supposed to be cheaper. Their real estate companies are making millions of dollars. Why give them more?
I have compiled a list of posts on this issue. Take a look and build arguments to make charter school policies more rational. Charters should make our educational system better, not destroy it. You can write letters, make presentations and make a difference.
by Margery Marcus, LWV of Broward
Margery’s compares two schools located across the street from one another, Pinewood traditional elementary and North Broward Academy charter school. Pinewood used to earn a ‘B’ school grade. The schools could be fraternal twins, but now one earned a ‘D’ and the other an ‘A’. I was intrigued. So, I went back through the data for the last three years to see if there were changes in the schools over time. There were.
Margery states that CSUSA is doing something right. What do you think it may be? Numbers do not always tell the whole story.
In the last legislative session, there was a proposal to allow students to enroll in any public school that had room. It would give parents flexibility.
Most districts already allow students to enroll in a district school outside their zoned school to accommodate parents’ work places. Some states have enacted these open enrollment policies for everyone to go to any school. I was surprised at what happened. Maybe this is not good for Florida.
Many educational problems come down to money issues–how much is there, how much is needed, who has it? Which states are fair; which are not?
What does ‘fairness’ mean? School Funding Fairness shows how policies differ in a state by state report.
Florida gets it ‘half right’. How does your state rank?