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Push Back to Protect Schools Makes Opportunities
It is time to think out of the box.
The jockeying continues. According to Politico, Speaker Corcoran and Senate President Negron are negotiating over a plan to make the Schools of Hope funding competitive AND INCLUDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. This has some logic to it. Districts that are serious about providing the support and supervision to turn around failing schools can participate.
There is no question that these schools need fresh ideas, new funding, and constant oversight. Changing the status quo is a community effort. Outside charter schools can’t do it. It will take some thoughts about zoning, racial and socio economic balance, after school programs, health and behavioral support services and extending the school day. It will take creative solutions to teacher and principal assignments.
Some changes have to reflect how people live. They work one or two jobs. Where are the children while parents work–not just poor children, all children. How can schools and communities work together to make life less complicated? Can we create a school day that allows time for serious academics, recess, physical activities, hands on learning, and exciting cultural activities? Why can’t this all happen on a school campus? How can we structure our teacher’s time more flexibly? Who can provide supervision for an extended day? We need to ask what is the quality of our after school programs? It is mostly a matter of coordination and thinking differently. Are we up to it?
The League is sending out a BLAST to everyone. WATCH FOR IT! We need citizens to make a stand to protect our public schools and help them evolve to meet the needs of the future. We need everyone to think out of the box. This is an opportunity to make a difference.
Florida’s Top High Schools
U.S. News and World Report high school rankings are out. Thirteen Florida schools made the top 100. To achieve that ranking, data is collected on the state reading and math scores. Schools that perform better than expected are identified. This includes disadvantaged students who score better than the state average for comparable groups e.g. minority and low income groups. The college readiness index include students’ scores on AP tests. Graduation rates are also factored into the rankings.
Rankings never tell the whole story. The list below gives the national rank for Florida’s top schools along with the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. If you go to the U.S. News and World Report site, you can click on each school to get a glimpse of their curriculum. Note how innovative most schools seem to be. Note also that only two of the thirteen top Florida schools are charters.
Negron Trades Schools for Reservoir
A draft budget compromise has been reached that gives the House its Schools of Hope and provides no capital outlay increase for public school facilities. In exchange, Joe Negron gets the reservoir in South Florida. If the Senate approves, public schools are left in the lurch once again.
No real details are out, but no reason to cheer.
Budget Bills Clash: Holding Schools Hostage
It is Thursday. According to reports, the Senate and House must convene their conference committees by Monday if they hope to finish the legislative session by May 5th. Negotiations between House Leader Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron fell apart Sunday. Now they are calling one another names. What is at issue?
Reports in the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times see it this way:
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- League Members visit the office of Senator Marco Rubio
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- League Members wait to see Senator Bill Nelson
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- Education Team at the Department of Education
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