by: Paula Dockery, 2.25.16|Tampa Tribune The Florida Legislature, particularly the House, is hell-bent on pushing its charter school facility funding and expansion agenda at the expense of the state’s traditional public schools. Let me be perfectly clear. I don’t oppose charter schools. In fact, I’ve been very supportive of them. While in the Legislature I…
DetailsAfter much Senate posturing, the Best & Brightest, sporting recently passed House language, is now stuffed into SB 524 by Sen. Gaetz in a “train.” It is in this form that the $44M teacher bonus program once called “stupid” by Sen. Detert will be heard in Thursday’s Senate Appropriations Committee. Take action today & say…
DetailsSB 886 by Sen. Benacquisto, which will be heard in Senate Appropriations this week, imposes an unfair tax burden on districts by allowing students to “open enroll” in any school across the state. It should be noted that SB 886 proponents from the charter and “school choice” lobby gave at least $182,500 to legislators and…
DetailsTake action now. Say no to coding as a foreign language. SB 468 by former Yahoo! exec Jeremy Ring, is coming up for a vote on the Senate floor tomorrow. Thanks to the Miami Herald for reporting that this vendor-driven bill is also an unpiloted statewide experiment. Ring proudly boasts that if SB 468 passes it,…
DetailsHB 873 by Rep. Erik Fresen heads to the House floor this week. Please reject this push to hand over district construction funds to for-profit charter chains so they can finance facilities we will never own. This bill shifts the legislature’s responsibility for funding charter schools onto the backs of taxpayers. Take action now. Tell…
DetailsSomething nasty is going on in the 2016 Florida Legislature. “Reform” minded politicians; aided by wealthy charter lobbyists, the Koch Brothers, voucher proponents and Jeb’s Foundations have declared war on the constitutional authority of school Boards. Unable to stomach any opposing view, they’d rather write and pass legislation to rig the game than play within the parameters…
DetailsTake action today! Computer Coding is not a foreign language! SB 468 by former Yahoo! executive, Senator Jeremy Ring makes computer coding equal to foreign language studies. This bill does one thing: it sets up a lucrative market for vendors eager to sell coding courses. Florida already allows computer science to count toward high school science…
DetailsBy: Rosa Castro Feinberg, Ph.D The issue: SB 468/HB 887 – awarding foreign language credit for coding classes. To urge lawmakers to oppose this effort click here. 1. Should Florida mislead students, parents, employers, institutions of higher education and the general public by awarding foreign language credit for completion of coding classes? No. Coding “languages”…
DetailsTake action today! Computer Coding is not a foreign language! SB 468 by former Yahoo! executive, Senator Jeremy Ring makes computer coding equal to foreign language studies. This bill does one thing: it sets up a lucrative market for vendors eager to sell coding courses. Florida already allows computer science to count toward high school science…
DetailsIn this election year Florida politicians are spinning like crazy to make their education budget numbers sound good. For example, Sen. Don Gaetz asserts the misleading claim that education funding is at its “highest in Florida history.” The 2007, Florida Legislature passed a per pupil funding figure of $7,305.79. The 2016 proposed Senate budget reflects…
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