For the last decade republican legislator after republican legislator has tried to enrich themselves, a family member or one of their big donors by siphoning more money out of education and into things like charters and vouchers.
We are over a thousand dollars behind when adjusted for inflation on what we spent per student on public education in 2007 and that as Tallahassee has introduced one unfunded mandate after another and ratcheted up the faux-accountability system that charters to a lesser degree and vouchers to no degree have to follow.
District after district has seen what has gone on and in a response to this criminal in my opinion under funding of education and stepped up to provide extra funds to their public schools. Now Tallahassee wants a cut of that to go to charter schools as well.
From the Tampa Times:
When voters choose to hike their local property taxes to help schools in their county, that money would need to be shared between districts and charter schools under a bill passed by the Florida House…
Charter schools are publicly funded schools operated by private entities, and are defined as public schools under Florida law.
Democratic Rep. Dotie Joseph, also of Miami, said this bill is “smoke and mirrors” simply because Republicans didn’t like how districts are using their discretionary spending when they raise local money to go above inadequate state funds.
“We try to play like the voters don’t know what they’re doing. They know absolutely what they’re doing,” she said. “What happened here was simple: Tallahassee failed us so we took matters into our own hands at the local level.”
The presidents of both the statewide teachers’ union and the Miami-Dade teachers’ union held a news conference earlier this week at the Florida Capitol where they protested this bill and said lawmakers were usurping the will of the voters.
Beyond the fight in Miami, Avila also pointed out an ongoing lawsuit in Palm Beach County over this exact issue, which he said proves the point that greater “clarity” is needed in the law to settle that districts must share their funds.
In addition to the piece about school funding, House Bill 7123, the House’s tax package, also would significantly reduce the state’s commercial lease tax…
Tallahassee just said to city after city we don't care what you think or what you voted for, make us and our donors richer. I also want to remind you that Tallahassee has repeatedly given charters extra money while defunding public ed.
Where does the greed of charter schools and their bought and paid for legislators stop? How many times can they spit in the eye of the citizens of Florida and still get elected? Friends we are not being led by Tallahassee and instead are being ruled and its working less and less for more and more of us.
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