You know it’s funny after these revelations, I thought there
would be a bigger outcry. More people would be upset and maybe Tallahassee
would want to do something to make the playing ground level, but thus far they
have been met with a collective shrug.
In Jacksonville it was reported that an autistic boy was
turned away from a charter school, because they said he wouldn’t be a good fit.
You will find similar stories all across the state so where repellent it’s not
that unusual, what is however is the state department of education said that
was just fine.
From Action News Jax,
It’s against the law for public schools and charter schools to
turn away students because of special needs.
However,
Action News Jax learned there’s a catch.
The
Florida Department of Education said it’s not discriminatory for charters to
suggest a different school that would better serve a student with disabilities.
Well that’s quite the catch isn’t it. I mean what parent is
going to want to send their child to a school who obviously doesn’t want them.
The FLDOE has given charter schools carte blanche to turn away whatever student
they don’t want. Live with your grandmother, no that doesn’t seem like it will
be a good fit, family lives in poverty, well we’re going to pass on you too.
Now they might not do it to the parent’s face, instead they
do it through the application process, where they ask about criminal history,
income, who they live with and other invasive questions that could give them
insight into how they might behave or perform academically.
Furthermore schools report all the time they receive
transfers from charter schools, usually after the charters receive state
funding and before the students have to take their state tests, who are often
behind their public school counterparts.
The FLDOE has in essence set public schools up to fail and
despite that they are by and large the best option to educate students.
Charter school proponents talk all the time about choice and
competition. It’s central to their argument why we should have them. The thing
is how can we have true completion when the game is rigged against public
schools in favor of charters?
This is the way things go until there's a crisis. When there's no funding for public schools. The Charters turn away poor performers. Our state will be in violation of Federal law to provide a basic education for its children. Good job Florida. The clock is ticking.
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