Can republicans in Florida please stop pretending they care about local control?

Like I imagine many of you I don’t, I don’t always agree with my school board or superintendent. That being said, I would rather they be in charge of our schools than Tallahassee. Unfortunately the legislature in Tallahassee emboldened by hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from charter school companies is seeking to take away local school boards rights to manage our schools.

They are proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow the state rather than districts to authorize charter schools.

I personally believe charter schools already violate the constitution which calls for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education. Having two parallel schools systems one of public schools managed by local elected boards and one of for profit charter schools managed by privately appointed boards is neither uniform nor efficient. That issue will go to court in March.

Along with violating the constitution by chronically under funding and kneecapping the class size amendment the legislature now wants to usurp local school boards. Also from the constitution, The school board shall operate, control and supervise all free public schools within the school district and determine the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed herein.

It seems to me the republican dominated legislature only cares about local control when it doesn’t interfere with its donors and friends making money.

To read more click the link: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article1959569.html