Tony Bennett’s Curious Meddling in Parent Trigger
So Parent Trigger legislation predictably moved through a House committee yesterday along party lines by a 8-5 vote. But the most interesting news of the day came in the form of a letter that Florida’s new education commissioner, Tony Bennett sent to the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) and Rep, Carlos Trujillo (R-Miami). See this Kathleen McGrory story in The Buzz for the link. Consider this part of Bennett’s March 6 letter:
…..One of Florida’s strengths is the emphasis it places on local control and responsibility of education. The legislation as written includes language that may let local school board members off the hook when it comes to respecting a parent’s role in the process.
Rather than allowing an appeal process that shifts responsibility to the State Board of Education, which is not best equipped to understand the local sensibilities of these issues, parents, teachers, students and community members have a right to make sure that when parents vice an opinion, its gets considered. School boards should not have the ability shift the decision to the state. They owe it to parents to consider what they have to say without being able to avoid the tough