Scathing Purple Musings
Color me purple in Florida ALL Week
Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg: With Best Wishes to Valentin: Conflicts Between ESOL and Florida Voucher Law
Reprinted in its entirety with permission from Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg In respond to my columns, Julio Fuentes, President & CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options and board member for Step Up for Students (SUFS), has filled up a remarkably large number of pages but has not and cannot deny the truths I’ve presented on any of them. (See Mr. Fuentes comments at http://vox
MAY 01
Step Up for Students Misleading Use of Pro-Voucher Study
Step Up for Students is getting faster at rapid response. Late last week, Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg’s expose regarding voucher schools poor record of implementation and service for English language learners. Step Up for Students’ (SUFS) board member Julio Fuentes responded to Castro’s piece, Castro Feinberg countered and a few hours ago, Fuentes, um, re-countered. Fuentes predictably surrounded his
Will Sachs, Montford Amendments Be Too Much for Senate Voucher Advocates?
Late yesterday and this morning, Sen. Maria Sachs (D-Delray Beach) and Sen. Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee) have inserted amendments into SB 1512 which will make senate voucher advocates put up, or shut up on accountability for voucher schools. From Sachs filed moments ago: Upon release of information from the Learning Service Institute in accordance with paragraph (9)(j), reporting to a scholarship
Another Day, Another Misrepresentation of Opposition to Vouchers
The institutional straw man defense of taxpayer-funded school vouchers continues. In an opinion piece Don’t Blame Vouchers for Poor Science Instruction another American Enterprise Institute scholar takes the plunge. Writes Michael Q. McShane in the Tallahassee Democrat: Re: “Science has a spot in voucher debates” (My View, April 16). I share Brandon Haught’s desire for sound science education in F
APR 30
Today’s Voucher Expansion Vote Will Forever Define Senate Republicans
A 2013 report from Charity Navigator gives Step Up for Students high marks as administrator of Florida’s voucher system, the misleading named the Florida Tax Credit Program. The report in PR Web quotes CEO Doug Tuthill: We’re doing important work and we’re obsessed with doing this work well,” said Tuthill. “Since we began more than a decade ago, we’ve distributed more than $1.4 billion in scholars
APR 29
Bush Ally Condemns High-Stakes Testing to Justify Different Tests for Florida Vouchers
The James Madison Institute, long a reliable parrot for any Jeb Bush education initiative, has trotted out one of its scholars to defend Florida’s voucher program. And resident fellow, William Mattox, comes up with the most convoluted arguments to date. Combined with another tortured “tax credits are private money” argument that doesn’t sway anyone, Mattox provides the a bizzare reason to justify
APR 28
Influential National Hispanic Civil Rights Organization Opposed to Voucher Expansion
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) are emphasizing their opposition to school vouchers in their education platform: LULAC strongly opposes vouchers and any other funding method that will limit public education resources. All Latinos should have access to safe, quality and desegregated public education. Public schools should be improved and rehabilitated, and be provided with adeq
APR 27
Step Up for Students Commissions Second Opinion Piece from Minority Member of Its Board to Defend Vouchers
Step Up Students, the administrative agent dependent on cash from Florida’s voucher system to survive, went into panic mode when Dr. Rosa Castro-Feinberg’s column was published three days ago. The influential education leader penned a blistering point-by-point critique of the voucher system’s flawed attention to and record with ELL students. It should be no surprise that Step Up for Students (SUFS
Florida Senate Voucher Sponsor Earmarked $2.3 Million for Voucher Eligible Sports Academy
From Matt Dixon in the Tampa Tribune: TALLAHASSEE _ Powerful state Sen. Bill Galvano says he had nothing to do with a client of his private law firm securing millions during the 2013 legislative session, but a state budget document that Galvano disputes shows he requested the money. IMG Academies, a Bradenton-based private sports and academic training academy, received $2.3 million in the current
APR 26
A Fatal Flaw in Florida Voucher Expansion: ESOL Students Are Getting Shortchanged
There are reports coming in that Florida’s voucher advocates are scrambling to counter a stunning expose by well-respected educator Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg which lays out the many pitfalls that exist for students whose first language is Spanish. Castro Feinberg also makes a compelling case that taxpayer-funded vouchers are in conflict with federal and Florida law. State ESOL law incorporates (fed
Florida Republican Lawmakers Moving Toward “Unequal Treatment” of State Schools
Florida republican lawmakers were scolded this week by the Tampa Bay Times for voting “twice to lessen accountability for private-run charter schools and sidestep calls for more accountability for private schools that accept tuition vouchers.” So much for local control. The Republican-led House on Tuesday approved a bill, HB 7083, that would standardize charter school contracts, eliminating the al