From Scathing Purple Musings
by Bob Sykes
A large coalition of parent-driven education advocacy groups have joined to strongly oppose Miami republican Rep. Michael Billeca’s HB 1191 “Parent Empowerment Act.” Citizens for Strong Schools, 50th No More, Florida PTA, Fund Education Now, Marions United for Public Education, Save Duval Schools and Support Dade Schools say this:
“We want to be crystal clear. Our parent-driven alliance of education advocates does not support HB 1191, the so-called “Parent Empowerment Act.” by Representative Billeca. Reporters have been told by unauthorized sources that we support this scheme. We do not. Everything about HB 1191, including its misleading name, ”Parent Empowerment,” plays to a parent’s instinct to find something better for their child, especially when the school in question is struggling.
The “Parent Trigger” is a common ploy that has been attempted around the country. This legislation cynically uses parents and their love for their children as a tool to pull the “trigger” and hand their neighborhood school over to a private entity with no true guarantee of gaining anything better for the children. The net result is that schools are taken away from the jurisdiction of duly elected district officials and the physical property of the school is seized and handed over to a for-profit management company
A nation-wide parents advocacy group, Parents Across America, announced their opposition to the bill last week.
http://bobsidlethoughtsandmusings.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/broad-coalition-of-parents-lines-up-in-opposition-to-floridas-parent-trigger-legislation/
The government has done an absolutely sorry job of empowering educators so, obviously, something has to be done. I support an unpaid parent-staffed school board rather than handing over the job and physical assets to people whose agenda is unknown.
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