Speculation about Legislative Education Chairmanships

legislation1Florida’s legislative leaders for the 2017 session are choosing chairs for key education committees.

 

 

 

In this Tampa Bay Times article, likely candidates are being  vetted.  As might be expected, most names are closely associated with the school choice agenda.  Representative Corcoran, the new leader of the House, stated that “more innovative” people could be in charge in the House evidently including possible new legislators.

If you do not know much about Representative Corcoran, read a bio the Times printed last year.  It gives a summary of his career and political associations.

Corcoran’s wife started a charter school, but is not receiving a salary from the school.  Representative Corcoran was closely involved with Senator Gaetz in the negotiation for the revisions in charter law to curb charter real estate self interested activities.   These revisions did not make it into the final bill.  What did make it into the final bill was a provision to allow charters to qualify for capital outlay in two years after opening rather than in three.  While this provision may not directly benefit his wife’s charter, which wants to double its size, Representative Corcoran is a supporter of charter expansion.  Whether he will support better charter governance remains to be seen.

 

 

Posted in Charter Schools, Florida, Florida House, Florida Senate, Funding, Legislation.

One Comment

  1. Over the week-end the NAACP ratified a resolution that calls for a moratorium on Charter expansion. The 2017 legislative session, as I understand, is going to concentrate on recess, testing and choice. Why not ask Sen Bill Montford to announce legislation to place a moratorium on opening new charters until they deal with issues of accountability and oversite associated with charters. That way we will avoid twisting ourselves in knots over who should serve as Legislative Education Chairmanships

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