Scathing Purple Musings
Color me purple in Florida ALL Week
Many Florida Districts Underfunded By Convoluted, Unequal FEFP System
So much for that level playing field. From WTSP reporter Noah Pransky: Florida’s Constitution requires the state appropriate funds to school districts in an equitable – but not necessarily equal – way. Since 1973, the legislature has used the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) to determine how much money each district gets from the state. Because the state requires local districts to collec
MAY 15
Florida Teachers Union Urges Scott to Veto Voucher Expansion Bill
Governor Rick Scott saw what happened to Charlie Crist when he vetoed SB6, republicans first attempt at imposing a test-based teacher evaluation bill. There’s no chance Scott will veto voucher expansion. But the FEA is doing the right thing by emphasizing in letter to Scott what’s so tragically wrong with the bill, and getting themselves on record as opposing Scott and state republicans. Writes Le
MAY 14
Testing Screw-Ups, Fines and We’re Working on It
WTSP reporter Grayson Kamm went looking for more answers about last months FCAT snafu and spoke with education commissioner Pam Stewart. He writes: “Where is the state in figuring out how much money this screw-up cost us?” I asked the state’s education chief after she gave a briefing to educators in Tampa. “We’ve got folks working on that, even as we speak. And we’ll be working with the vendor,”
MAY 13
Florida Public Schools Understand the Hyprocrisy Behind Budget Numbers
The narrative that Florida republican legislators and Governor Rick Scott advanced at the end of the legislative session was that public schools were somehow the big winners. Public school officials are collectively rolling their eyes. Preening politicians live in a separate universe than do the educators who make our schools work and run on time. The St. Augustine Record explains: St. Johns Coun
MAY 12
Vouchers and Charter Schools Have Cost One Florida District $70 Million
While the school choice crowd says that public school budgets aren’t affected – even a little bit – by Jeb Bush’s privatizations schemes. The superintendent of on the state’s sixth largest districts begs to differ. Writes Jacksonville Times-Union reporter Denise Smith Amos: Rebecca Couch, chairwoman of the Duval school board, said the new (voucher) bill introduces more uncertainty into the school
On Voucher Expansion, “Floridians Will Pay For the Legislature’s Sins For Years”
While the propaganda campaign is already underway by Step Up for Students to advance that narrative that more people are for voucher expansion than there really are, the editors of the Tampa Bay Times Extending private school tuition vouchers to the middle class should require a clear vote and thorough debate by the Florida Legislature. So should creating a significant new entitlement for disabled
MAY 11
New Budget Leaves Florida 50th of 50 States in Per Pupil Funding
Looks like all that back-slapping by republican legislators and happy talk about public schools being a “big winner” was poppycock. St. Augustine Record reporter Marcia Lane explains: When Superintendent Joe Joyner saw a headline saying schools emerged as the “big winner” during the session, he called Beth Sweeny, the district’s coordinator of governmental relations, since that didn’t jibe with hi
MAY 10
Common Core Support Among Conservatives Continues to Crumble
Consider the following list of heavy weight conservatives who are opposing Common Core Standards: Phyllis Schlafly - Author, constitutional lawyer and activist Glenn Beck - Radio talk show host, author, former FOX News show host, founder of TheBlaze TV Network and Magazine George Will - FOX News contributor, author, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post Michelle Malkin - Author, syndicated
Common Core a Jeb Bush Federal Power Grab? Of Course It Is
The Northwest Florida Daily News which serves a three-county republican stronghold takes a sober look at Common Core Standards and the role that former Florida governor Jeb Bush has played. After dryly pointing out “Common Core isn’t really going away in Florida, just the name, ” the editors offer this: …the real question is not whether this is a federal power grab. Of course it is. The real quest