Let me start by saying I think Mrs. Couch in her second term has done an excellent job representing the schools, teachers and children of Jacksonville. She is prepared and passionate and a great advocate and if you thought you heard a "yeah but" coming there is.
Since last fall Mrs. Couch has been questioning our budgeting procedures and rightfully so as a recent Times Union report said we spent 21 million more last year than we budgeted for.
http://jacksonville.com/metro/news/education/2017-07-18/duval-school-board-wants-know-how-district-spent-21-million-more
Then there is Gary Chartrand and the QEA blackmailing threatening to withhold five million dollars unless they get their way.
http://news.wjct.org/post/philanthropists-donors-demand-duval-school-budget-changes
Worst of all however is House Bill 7069 which threatens to annually siphon away millions of dollars from the district and send quite a bit of it to for profit companies.
From the Times Union: Duval Schools will be forced to share about $16 million of its capital dollars with charter schools over the next five years under the guidelines of the newly signed education law, district officials said.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/education/2017-06-20/duval-schools-share-millions-dollars-charter-operations-under-newly
After all of above you are probably thinking she has every right to be cost advertent about spending money and joining or starting a lawsuit against HB 7069, and the reason is not because she disagrees with it, she was very outspoken against HB 7069 but her reservations come because she wants to know the costs. Here is the "yeah but" to heck with the costs.
.
The district stands to lose 16 million dollars over the next 5 years because of HB 7069. Shouldn't we be more than willing to spend 20 or 25 thousand or a lot more in an effort not to lose that money? If we need to shouldn't we go through the couch cushions, start a go-fund me page, do car washes and bake sales or whatever the beep it takes to stop the legislature from kneecapping public ed and robbing it of millions and millions of dollars?
I know Mrs. Couch is against HB 7069, I also believe she is for a lawsuit but she is concerned about the potential costs. The thing is, at this point in the game we can't worry about how much it costs, even in these dire times, because if HB 7069 is fully realized, next year will be worse as will the year after that and so on. We have to draw a line in the sand, even if it costs money, our children and schools deserve it.
Mrs. Couch I get it, and I am both proud of you and appreciative, but here is the thing, you have fought so hard for so long it would be a shame to step back now.
Since last fall Mrs. Couch has been questioning our budgeting procedures and rightfully so as a recent Times Union report said we spent 21 million more last year than we budgeted for.
http://jacksonville.com/metro/news/education/2017-07-18/duval-school-board-wants-know-how-district-spent-21-million-more
Then there is Gary Chartrand and the QEA
http://news.wjct.org/post/philanthropists-donors-demand-duval-school-budget-changes
Worst of all however is House Bill 7069 which threatens to annually siphon away millions of dollars from the district and send quite a bit of it to for profit companies.
From the Times Union: Duval Schools will be forced to share about $16 million of its capital dollars with charter schools over the next five years under the guidelines of the newly signed education law, district officials said.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/education/2017-06-20/duval-schools-share-millions-dollars-charter-operations-under-newly
After all of above you are probably thinking she has every right to be cost advertent about spending money and joining or starting a lawsuit against HB 7069, and the reason is not because she disagrees with it, she was very outspoken against HB 7069 but her reservations come because she wants to know the costs. Here is the "yeah but" to heck with the costs.
.
The district stands to lose 16 million dollars over the next 5 years because of HB 7069. Shouldn't we be more than willing to spend 20 or 25 thousand or a lot more in an effort not to lose that money? If we need to shouldn't we go through the couch cushions, start a go-fund me page, do car washes and bake sales or whatever the beep it takes to stop the legislature from kneecapping public ed and robbing it of millions and millions of dollars?
I know Mrs. Couch is against HB 7069, I also believe she is for a lawsuit but she is concerned about the potential costs. The thing is, at this point in the game we can't worry about how much it costs, even in these dire times, because if HB 7069 is fully realized, next year will be worse as will the year after that and so on. We have to draw a line in the sand, even if it costs money, our children and schools deserve it.
Mrs. Couch I get it, and I am both proud of you and appreciative, but here is the thing, you have fought so hard for so long it would be a shame to step back now.
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