Scenes From Parent Trigger’s Passage in Senate Budget Committee
From The Buzz:
The so-called parent trigger bill has won the support of the Senate Budget Committee.
The vote took place at an unusual — and unusually contentious — Saturday morning meeting.
SB 1718, a priority for former Gov. Jeb Bush, had been hotly debated, even before Saturday’s meeting. The proposal from Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Ft. Myers, would enable parents at low-performing schools to demand new teachers be hired, and even petition to have the school converted into a charter school.
Supporters say the bill has the potential to help chronically struggling schools by harnessing the power of parents. Opponents believe it is was written to benefit for-profit school management companies, which would be able to step in.
Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander called for a time-certain vote at 9:59 a.m., giving the
