Trifecta States: Passing bills to dismantle U.S. public schools in unison
Help us advocate for a safe, efficient, high quality system of public education that works for the success of every Florida child.
ADVOCACY
Your voice has power. Learn the facts about education reform policy and share your knowledge with others. Florida’s public school children need an army of advocates who value high quality learning. Together we can share our vision, speak up for our children and make dedication to public education a litmus test for elected office.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Fund Education Now’s Annual Education Report Card gives voters a non-partisan, comprehensive assessment of whether or not the Governor and legislators support and pass policies that uphold their Constitutional duty to Florida’s public school children as stated in Article IX, section 1 of the state constitution.
KNOWLEDGE
Florida public education has been subjected hundreds of drastic policy changes over the past 15 years. Effective advocacy means understanding policies and historical context. Fund Education Now provides easy tools to help advocates develop expertise and confidence about the issues.
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Florida is ground zero for education reform legislation. Ideas that don’t pass one session are brought up again the following year. Issues such as high stakes testing, rigid teacher accountability measures, mandatory retention, unfunded mandates, diluting the authority of unions and school boards, expanding for-profit charter school chains and the promulgation of private school vouchers funded by diverted tax dollars are on-going efforts that are expanded by the Florida legislature each session.
Fund Education Now supports education policy legislation that does the following:
- What is Model legislation?
Model legislation is a template for a bill designed by education reformers, business leaders and lobbyists who work with state legislators to promote, sponsor and pass the bill.
- Why are Florida-style education reforms spreading across the states?
In order to maximize profits from reforming and privatizing public education, it’s essential that as many states as possible adopt reform legislation as quickly as possible. - Federal ESSA
Congress finally passed the ESSA, bringing the era of President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to its much deserved close. - FERPA & Student Privacy
“Privacy is rarely lost in one fell swoop. It is usually eroded over time, little bits dissolving almost imperceptibly until we finally begin to notice how much is gone.”
NEWS, TWITTER & TAKE ACTION
Polk Bus Driver Knows The Importance Of Kindness To Kids
A bus driver in Polk County loves to be the light for her students when they have bad days.
patch.com
Remove consequences from student test results, key Florida lawmaker says
A bill addressing the issue will be heard in the Senate Education Committee during the first week of the legislative session.
tampabay.com
Tampa Bay parents ask state to cancel standardized tests due to pandemic
A growing number of parents and teachers are calling on the state to cancel standardized testing because of the pandemic.
wfla.com
Pandemic looms over education priorities for Florida Legislature
Some Republican leaders want to address academic gaps by enhancing literacy and early learning programs. Others are looking at continuing remote learning options without impacting district funding.
tampabay.com
DeSantis Omits Data on Child COVID Rates as He Touts Decision to Open Schools
In a speech and a tweet this week lauding his decision to keep schools open, Florida’s governor omitted more than 50,000 coronavirus cases confirmed in children over 14, comparing the state’s infection rate among children under 15 to other states’ rates for those under 20.
nbcmiami.com
Florida lawmakers warn schools they could lose millions if students don’t show up
The state’s latest enrollment estimate, adopted in January, showed 88,000 students who were unaccounted for, compared to how many pupils were expected to show up.
tampabay.com
