Scott Shine's lies and half truths about the referendum

This guy I am sorry, these guys, Shine, Curry and Chartrand, the members of the city council that are carrying their water they don't want to have an honest debate, like when Chartrand straight up lied in an op-ed, saying the district didn't have plans to share tax revenues with charter schools. Well Shine was less than honest over and over in his letter to the city council.

I gave myself thirty minutes, that's all I wanted to spend on Shine's letter and I was able to debunk most of it.

He wrote,     

• Dr. Vitti discussed an estimated $1 billion need two years ago.  How do you account for the number at nearly $2 billion today?

Two years ago after he left for Detroit, seems strange. I did find this from three and a half years ago.
 https://www.news4jax.com/education/superintendent-duval-county-needs-1-billion-for-schools?fbclid=IwAR1NJuZJ_LnIDafqQFfop9vQVC53AbXNwZNnmuoOU0oAfm1Zf5tHMSMWQHQ

So Vitti off the top of his head without the benefit of a comprehensive study threw out a billion dollars. Maybe it was, but it's my bet he was just spit balling and a lot can happen in three and a half years when you don't address serious issues. 

He wrote,

• Last week, Idea Charter Schools announced they will bring 12 to 14 schools to Jacksonville – mostly in the urban core.  How are charters recognized as an impact to student populations?

I scoured the internet for this one because it would be big news right. Something maybe the local news would cover.  Now opportunity zones for schools of hope have been expanded,  and we know Education Commissioner Corcoran would love IDEA to come to Jacksonville but right now there has been no announced expansion here though they have announced expansion elsewhere. 
https://ideapublicschools.org/news-events/idea-public-schools-announces-expansion-to-the-greater-houston-area

He wrote,

In 2017, the Florida Department of Education released a study that showed Charter Schools out-performed traditional public schools on standardized tests.

I think this study is highly debatable but why didn't he use the study that came out just last month? Why did he have to go back a few years? I mean isn't that suspicious for a guy who is supposedly in the know? Is it because this report didn't say things he wants you to hear? Spoiler charters can do know wrong in Tallahassee's eyes but why he didn't use the current report if befuddling. 
http://www.fldoe.org/newsroom/latest-news/new-report-finds-florida-charter-school-students-consistently-outperform-their-peers-in-traditional-public-schools.stml

This link will take you to the 350 charter schools that have closed in Florida, including the 22 that have closed in Duval alone and you will see a KIPP school among them.
http://app4.fldoe.org/CSA/PostToWeb/ManageSearch.aspx 

He wrote,

• Some estimates show a realistic attrition in Duval traditional public schools at 1,000 to 2,000 per year.

Oh some estimates, well sure, can we see these estimates and who put them out? Was it a pro charter group? Um if IDEA is going to open a dozen schools wouldn't that estimate be a lot higher? Charter school growth has slowed in Jacksonville despite the increase in the number of schools. The truth is the district has lost 12-14,000 kids to charter schools, 40 charter schools, but we have lost a heck of a lot more do to people leaving for the suburbs. 

He wrote,

These “philanthropic” charters bring additional money into public education though state funding and local giving.  KIPP school alone brings in about $2 million additional dollars each year from philanthropy.  

If KIPP is bringing in that much extra why did Jason Fischer insert 2 million into the state budget, something he does with regularity? Um since they don't need it can we get that money back? Was that a good use of limited resources? Why isn't he or anyone quite frankly fighting for public schools to get extra money. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Appropriations/2019


Finally he wrote,

 Florida Times Union, 6/4/2019: “A School Board member, who asked not to be named, said that when mapping out the master facilities plan, board members were discouraged from relying too heavily on charter school locations in planning.”

The complete quote was, A School Board member, who asked not to be named, said that when mapping out the master facilities plan, board members were discouraged from relying too heavily on charter school locations in planning.

“Because we have no control of charters closing at will, it would be irresponsible to put much consideration in making space for them and then potentially leaving children and families in neighborhoods without a community public school if they were to fail or simply close,” the School Board member said. 

The board member compared the facility master plan to the grocery business.

“Fresh Market and Publix are both grocery stores, but Publix isn’t backing out of neighborhoods to make room for Fresh Market — that’s bad business,” they said. “Instead, they’d look at how they can provide a similar experience to the consumer, but they have to have adequate revenue and resources to compete.”

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190604/civic-council-takes-issue-with-duval-schools-master-plan

That is a heck of a lot different from what Shine implied and the reason SB members occasionally go off the record was they have a policy to let the chair speak for them. This SB member obviously had no problem with the plan, despite Shine's insidious implications.

And that is my 30 minutes.

Some people might ask, well whats the difference between Shine and me, we're just different sides of the same coin, well I sourced everything I could for starters, where Shine a man who basically quit  his job and lied about it just expects you to take his word for it.

How can we have an honest debate when the side fighting against the referendum, isn't willing to be honest.

And in case you think I may be the only one that feels this way, a former SB wrote this on-line.
First of all, Mr. Shine wouldn’t have a clue what the district needs. He did not attend meetings for over a year and a half because he didn’t get his way. Secondly, if the district is supposed to “compete” shouldn’t they do so by investing in the technology and upgrades of buildings? I mean as he pointed out KIPP is able to get philanthropic money to make their facilities appealing to parents. Also, if charters are so much better and cheaper, why do they continually get line item money in the budget from the city and state? If we applied his logic, then the state and city are saying only kids at Tiger and KIPP matter. He is the reason our district paid over six figures for a lawsuit. He has cost the taxpayer quite a bit of money himself and I am not sure why anyone would listen to someone who failed to represent the people whom elected him to office and lied to them when questioned about his attendance.

Shine is the worst.