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Charter School Explosion: Follow the Money
Do you wonder why I am so pleased about Sen. Gaetz’s bill? I will tell you a story. It’s an unbelievable story. Pat Hall, LWVF Education Chair for Hillsborough’s League wrote it after her investigation of CSUSA real estate practices. It’s a peek into another world.
Read it here.
Pat and I have wondered if we were whistling into the wind. Maybe, just maybe, people are beginning to hear.
Fla. Senator Favors Charters with a ‘Social Conscience’
Senator Gaetz is thinking about what is right. He and Rep. Fresen (HB 873) are squaring off over charter school funding for facilities. Both bills would reduce the amount of capital outlay dollars public schools can assess through local property taxes. According to the Miami Herald, Senator Gaetz’s bill would also crack down on ‘private enrichment’ schemes that charter management firms use to build and lease facilities for which they charge exorbitant rates.
Parents Fight New Charter School
This proposed charter for 1100 students is not needed, Avalon parents say. Our schools are ‘A’ rated. Why bring in competing charters? Kathleen Oropeza posted a petition that parents have created to stop the for-profit Charter USA school from being built. Over 1100 parents have already signed it.
If the parents are successful in blocking the new charter in their district, they may have to face the approval process by the State Board of Education. As currently construed, SBE members tend to approve charters even if they are not needed. The message needs to go beyond local school boards.
When parents get this organized, the legislature might even listen.
Why The Arts Matter in Schools
The arts change how students learn. Remember when I posted the description of Rawlings Is Singing, and Dancing and Acting and Creating Art? This school has been one of the lowest achieving in the district. It was transformed, but the children are still there. Reread the post. Then, watch this video of the school’s first performance.
Rawlings is a traditional public school making a difference in children’s lives and their perceptions of themselves. The arts focus on the joy in learning. The arts teachers and core curriculum faculty are working together to build students’ academic and behavioral skills in ways that might seem invisible to children, but you can definitely see how it is done. The teachers describe the process. It is fun to see.
I do not care what school grade Rawlings has had in the past. Those grades have little to do with the excellence demonstrated by the teachers and students. The State must give credit where credit is due.
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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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