15 of 31 "F" Schools in Florida are Charter Schools

Charter Schools are not some magic fix. They take resources out of public schools and in the case of for profit charter schools put money into the pockets of hedge fund managers. What Thrasher and Scott are doing to the citizens of Florida is a diservice. -cpg

From Scathing Purple Musings

by Bob Sikes

Rick Scott’s pretty pleased with himself will all the ed reform measures he’s signed into law. He wrote this in an Orlando Sentinel op-ed piece last Monday:

With these pieces of legislation, we open doors of opportunity for students with disabilities, create stronger charter and virtual schools, and strengthen Students at failing schools are more likely to drop out, which means they are most likely to have trouble keeping a job. To prevent this tragedy, we are expanding the Opportunity Scholarship program, so students at chronically low-performing schools can choose a better school.

We have redefined what makes a failing school from those that earn an “F” two years in a row, to chronically low-performing schools that are graded either “D” or “F.” That means more students and their parents will be empowered to choose a better school, and with it, a better future parents’ right to choose the best education for their children.

Charter schools, Governor?

Four days after Scott spiked the ball at a charter school in Winter Garden, Florida’s school grades were released. Thanks to the yeoman’s work of a colleague and FB friend, Floridians know that of the 31 failing schools in Florida, 15 are charter schools.

Alachua:
Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary- CHARTER

Broward:
Imagine School at West Melbourne- CHARTER
Imagine Charter/ N. Lauderdale- CHARTER
Imagine at N. Lauderdale Middle School- CHARTER
Charter School of Excellence at Riverland- CHARTER
Broward Community Charter Middle- CHARTER

Dade:
Lenora Braynon Smith Elementrary- Public
Lawrence Academy Elementary Charter School- CHARTER
Comstock Elementary- CONTROLLED CHOICE
Florida International Elementary Academy- CHARTER
Kelsey L. Pharr Elemntary- CONTROLLED CHOICE

Duvall:
Brentwood Elementary- Public
Highlands Elementary- Public
John Love Elementary- Public
KIPP Impact Middle- CHARTER
West Jacksonville Elementary- Public

Escambia:
AA Dixon Charter School of Excellence- CHARTER

Hamilton:
Central Hamilton Elementary- Public

Hillsborough:
Riverhills Elementary- Public
Mt. Pleasant Standard Base Middle- CHARTER

Lake:
Beverly Shores Elementary- Public

Lee:
Lee Charter Academy- CHARTER

Manatee:
G.D. Rogers Garden Elementary- Public

Orange:
Rio Grande Charter- CHARTER
Kaley Elementary- Public
NAP Ford Community Charter- CHARTER

Palm Beach:
Joseph Littles-Nguzo Saba- CHARTER

Pasco:
Gulf Highlands Elementary- Public

Pinellas:
Maximo Elementary- Public
Melrose Elementary- Public

Volusia:
Community Learning Center East- Public

Scott and the his legislative allies probably never planned for a contingency where a mass failure of charter schools would occur and be subject to their own trigger mechanisms. It even worse than they thought, too, as a report was released last week detailing significant abuse of the McKay scholarship program that was also expanded by Scott’s pen. McKay is for students with disabilities and now includes any child with an IEP.

You would think Floridians would be wary of such questionable expansions. SunRail is currently sucking up the state’s mainstream media oxygen right now. That will soon change as a few of the state’s large newspapers cover education in a responsible way

http://bobsidlethoughtsandmusings.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/15-of-31-f-schools-in-florida-are-charter-schools/