Mayor Curry tweets support for charter schools while he starves public schools.

One of the given reasons the right says the love charters is they say competition will improve schools. Well how our public schools supposed to compete when they are starved or resources? The answer is they aren't and Curry is fighting hard to see they never do.



You know I think Most Mayors are all about helping their schools. Instead we have a mayor that is working to see they are starved of resources and then are replaced. 

Blast from the past Dave Chauncey liked and commented on the piece. Yeah he wouldn't have been a bad school board member.

Mayor Curry continues to tell lies and mislead about the tax referendum (rough draft)

In a story about a viral letter asking for the referendum that a ten year old girl wrote, Curry played scrooge and continued to mislead about why the city isn't wiling to move forward.

From the Times Union,

None of the soon-to-depart City Council members wrote back to Audrey, but Curry responded, which Parman said the 10-year-old appreciated. However, she wasn’t as thrilled about what the response actually said.

“He thanked her for the feedback but also let us know that he is not in support of a special election for a single referendum because of its ‘financial impact on the city,’” Parman said. “When I read that to Audrey she asked, ‘If we aren’t important enough for this, who is?’”

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190626/girl-10-tells-mayor-to-support-sales-tax-for-schools?fbclid=IwAR1AcUkn4sfsokCgzt2EOKJQd1eC5MtyMWMR7zu5A5JC2gJmib8w4F4qqBw

Our spends like a drunken sailor  when its something he wants mayor continues to mislead people about the cost. 

DCPS has said they would pay for it and if it were to pass this fall it would save the district 5 million dollars. Hey members of the press please call him on this, pretty please.

I suspect he is beginning to realize fewer and fewer people are believing him about this so yesterday he floated another new reason to be against the referendum.

From Florida Politics.

On Wednesday, Curry added that “a cost analysis per location including transparent accounting” and other financial planning “will ensure we are asking taxpayers for the exact amount necessary and not hurting the credit rating of city and county government.”

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/299691-olive-branch-lenny-curry-moves-on-school-sales-tax?fbclid=IwAR1U_mkUZEQp94BDlXJJsEKj9w2b4HjghRAOOmGB5chKXW0_K-Ye5PQIdgs

Oy vey now he is concerned that school district can mess up the city's credit? Um Lenny you have done plenty enough of that on your own.

It's also 1.3 billion over 15 years for over a hundred schools and he wants it mapped out to the penny? Next he'll ask for a unicorn too.

Lenny isn't interested in solving a problem he helped create, just in finding more excuses not to do so.

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. 

World's worst school board member Scott Shine, jokes about schools falling apart.

I learned last night he hated his first name, Francis. That realy has nothing to do with anything but I thought I would share.

Scott Shine sent and email to the city council attempting to sabotage the half cent sales tax referendum but he couldn't help himself and sent the letter to the school board too with a snarky note attached. He wrote,

Yes, pictures of rusty pipes an leaking roofs are very compelling.  Please consider the economic and financial background in understanding this issue.  Thanks!

You know schools falling apart is very compelling. Lets just dismiss it and move on shall we.

Friends this guy basically quit while continuing to collect a pay check and he has the nerve to question the school board's understanding of the issue. The board has literally worked on this all year bringing in experts and consultants, but he is this failed surfer, drunk on being appointed to the charter review commission saying he knows what's best.

Um Scott you were on the board for four years, sorry you collected a pay check for 4 but were really on there a bit over three, and you were terrible and unprepared and that's what your colleagues would say.    

I have included his letter below, I may go through it later and dismantle his points but pay attention to where he says IDEA charters is going to open up ten to twelve in Jacksonville, that friends is a straight up lie, something he and his Master Chartrand aren't beyond telling. I scoured the internet and couldn't find that anywhere. I know that's his fever dream but its also not true.

Members of the City Council:

The welfare of Jacksonville’s children is no one’s exclusive domain, it is the responsibility of everyone.  Not the least of which, the members of the Jacksonville City Council.  In my four years on the school board, I was very close with the need to rebuild the school district’s physical plant.  Primarily, because I was the only board member advocating and promoting the rebuild and associated funding during that period.  The need is real.  However, the proposed plan is evolving and needs to clearly define deliverables, as well as to take into consideration the falling enrollment numbers of Jacksonville’s traditional public schools.  Concerns and questions that need resolution:

• Dr. Vitti discussed an estimated $1 billion need two years ago.  How do you account for the number at nearly $2 billion today?
• Do you need to build all schools to standard as “hurricane shelters?”
• Are other school districts who have done this (St. Johns, etc.) comparable to Duval?  St. Johns has too many students.  We have too few.
• There are currently over 20,000 empty seats in DCPS, but the plan only eliminates 5,000?
• 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?
• Some estimates show a realistic attrition in Duval traditional public schools at 1,000 to 2,000 per year.
• In 1965, DCPS had 125,000 students with a total county population of 509,000.
• In 2018, DCPS has 113,000 students with a total county population of 950,000.

In 2017, the Florida Department of Education released a study that showed Charter Schools out-performed traditional public schools on standardized tests.  What’s more, Charters in the “Schools of Hope” category have been shown to be among the highest performing charters among comparable demographic groups.  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.  There is the likely potential for these schools to bring in tens of millions of new, additional dollars for those students who need it the most. 

Charters are important from a capital improvement standpoint because the building cost, maintenance and final disposition of the school building is the responsibility of the charter operator, not the county.  The cost of building a new charter school facility for the Duval county tax payer = $0.  Three years after opening, charters get a smaller share of local ad valorem and state capital dollars as compared to traditional public schools.  How could this be used to save the taxpayer money and provide quality education for all?  According to your school district, it was not considered openly.  From the 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.”  When a member of an elected body must speak to the citizen through condition of anonymity, you have to question the level of transparency.

We need to close schools and Dr. Greene’s plan calls for that.  I believe in the end this list may grow.  But, critical to this endeavor is a plan and funds to deal with shuttered school facilities and grounds.  We know from the past that closed, empty school buildings and grounds create blight and are associated with an increase in crime and decrease in economic activity.  We need a specific plan for the future of these closed school sites and this issue sits squarely in the wheel-house of the city council.  This plan needs to speak to economic development and funding.

In closing, I understand you have a hard job to do.  I knew four years ago that any ballot initiative for schools would need to cross your desk.  There has been much said about city hall and OGC exceeding authority.  Trust me, your role is not a surprise to anyone who studied this issue.  What’s more, when I championed this cause, my expectation was not a six-month turnaround, but I was of the opinion that two years of development and working with local stakeholders was more realistic.

If your job is only to put this on the ballot, tell me in your own words what I am voting for.  When you can answer that, it’s time to set the date.

Scott Shine

Lenny Curry stabs the city's children in the back while declaring victory

Curry by holding up the tax referendum, something if he was doing his job and cared about the city, he would enthusiastically support, and by bullying the school board he is stabbing the city's children, heck the entire city, in the back.

Shouldn't a mayor want neighborhoods to improve? Housing values to go up? People to stop fleeing to the suburbs? Shouldn't a mayor want to create jobs, attract business and give his city an economic shot in the arm all things the referendum would do along with making kids safer and fixing their schools? Aren't those the things a mayor should do? Well not this one, not Curry, and in his zeal to placate a mega donor, he has sold the city out.

From Florida Politics, 

 “The opportunity for us to work together – the Mayor’s office, the City Council, the School Board, teachers and parents – is available in the weeks ahead. Together we owe it to Jacksonville’s taxpayers and families to lay out a plan that is financially prudent and well thought out,” he added.

“To date, such a detailed plan has not been presented to me or to this community. The problem is real and easy to see, but for a solution to be effective, we must come together and ensure a plan that makes all our public schools better.”

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/299691-olive-branch-lenny-curry-moves-on-school-sales-tax?fbclid=IwAR1U_mkUZEQp94BDlXJJsEKj9w2b4HjghRAOOmGB5chKXW0_K-Ye5PQIdgs

Now Curry wants to work with the school board? Oy vey this guy lies as easily as I breathe as Lori Hershey disputed the mayors claim.

From the Times Union,
Hershey disagreed with that assessment.

“Our plan really goes above and beyond others in Florida,” she said. “Our CFO has answered a mound of emails from the mayor’s office. I really feel like at this particular point we’ve answered all the questions we need to at this point.”

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190625/duval-sales-tax-referendum-stands-still-at-city-council-meeting?fbclid=IwAR01OpKy_fjvtbzBoMDUWCwod5ZyF_sCs4zQq1zJ_jkJKqgg3coM7ZOwfx8

Nate Monroe wrote last week, that no amount of answered question will satiate the mayor and his minions, because they aren't looking for answers or a solution, not that it is the mayor's job to tell the school board what to do.

Curry is trying to bully the school board and they should not give him an inch because when his minions on the charter review commission come around with their proposals, then he will try and take a mile.

This is not how things should be. 

Gary Chartrand shows he doesn't care about parents, teachers or children in late night text

Here is the body of a text Chartrand sent to select district staff yesterday.

“If you want to go fast go alone , if you want to go far go together “
You don’t have the mayor , city council or the business community on board . That’s not A winning strategy . We can pull together , address the issue we raised ( there is always room for compromise ) and get a plan everyone can support . Then we will be your biggest advocates and the tax will pass . that’s my My 2 cents

Um notice he didn't mention he has parents on his side or teachers? Now he does have the mayor, and most of the city council but there is a fair amount of businesses who know the referendum will bring jobs and customers that he doesn't have in his pocket, heck the realtors association came out for the referendum, because they know new and repaired schools will raise property values and attract more clients, but I guess they don't have the juice he does. 

Also the issue he raised, was he wants them to give more charter schools more money.

He's saying do what I want and pass the referendum don't and it will fail.

My two cents is this guy is a bully, he is the villain of the story

Does the entire city serve the Civic Council

In today's paper both the editorial staff and a city councilman showed deference to the Civic Council and it's a little gross.

From the Editorial,

The Times-Union Editorial Board’s support for the sales tax — and for a November election to be held on it — should not be interpreted as blank check. Readers of this page will recall that we blasted the School Board for taking a passive approach toward putting its riverfront administration building for sale. And the Jacksonville Civic Council has raised important questions about the facilities plan that deserve to be fully examined. But nearly everyone agrees that the school system’s buildings are in deplorable shape and deserve to be remodeled, rebuilt or consolidated.

https://www.jacksonville.com/opinion/20190625/tuesday-editorial-proposed-sales-tax-would-boost-our-economy

Then this is what incoming councilperson Scott Wilson said

He said the School Board should have more public meetings and go to every every school that would be closed as a result of the district’s master plan. He said the district also should meet more with interested organizations such as the Jacksonville Civic Council.

“I think they should go out and get more buy-in from the community, from the mayor’s office or whoever else they think they need to get buy-in from,” Wilson said.

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190624/rally-urges-city-council-vote-tuesday-on-referendum?fbclid=IwAR2at8QsCYkhYOnAVuNkXe652b7ZtImZHjkQLPCvY0LE4LYBcRyYv-GUd6A

Ugh, the civic council is a group of rich mostly white and republican men, some of whom don't even live in the city and their opinion should be worth no more than the tens of thousands of teachers and parents who want the tax referendum. Yet here we have the editorial board of the Times Union and the incoming president of the school board bowing and scraping to them.

Friends we aren't being led, we are being ruled.

The Civic Council's pet charter schools already get millions extra. Where will their greed in.

Poor Gary Chartrand, lamented that he just wanted things to be fair between charter schools and public schools in a recent op-ed in the Times Union. Well it seems as if not all charter schools are equal after all because if the charter is affiliated with a member of the civic council they already receive extra, millions extra. 

The civic council loves charter schools but they really love the KIPP School and the Tiger Academy.

John Baker- KIPP Charter

Gary Chartrand- KIPP Charter

Daniel Edelman- KIPP Charter

John Baker, Tiger Academy

Eric Mann, Tiger Academy

https://www.kippjax.org/who-we-are/our-board/ 

http://www.jaxciviccouncil.com/ 

https://ymcatigeracademy.org/about/board-of-directors/  

Um, notice all the overlap there?

Well it just so happens that these two charter schools also receive a lot more public money than all the other schools, public and charter alike. 

Representative Fischer and Senator Aaron Bean want to give the KIPP school two million dollars extra and representative Clay Yarbourough wants to give the Tiger academy an extra million. What do these two charters have in common? They were founded by men,  who as members of the civic council regularly give the three legislators campaign money.

The KIPP school was brought to town by Ponte Vedra businessman Gary Chartrand who is one of Jason Fischer's earliest and biggest supporters. The KIPP school is not located in Fischer's district nor is it likely many children living in his district attend the school, but that has not stopped Fischer from funneling millions extra over the years to the KIPP schools. As you can see it is well represented on the Civic Council.

Yarborough at least has the decency to support a charter school in his district. He told WJCT news, Tiger Academy stands out as a high-performing school in an underserved neighborhood.  It's graeds are C, B, C,C, C, D, D. Solid after a slow start but not spectacular. There are numerous other schools in the same area that do just as well if not better. They just aren't sponsored by the Baker family like the Tiger academy is.

They got the money too

https://www.flsenate.gov/search/results?q=Tiger+academy

So it seems like fair is okay, but making sure their personal charter schools is taken care of is a pretty high priority too.

You know even other charter operators should be outraged by what the civic council is doing, they must be thinking, hey we better get us some politicians too.

Here is another time they raked in a bunch of extra cash too.

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2017/05/did-gary-chartrand-pay-politicians-to.html

Fighting against the referendum has absolutely nothing to do with costs or timing and its time people stopped saying so.

On First Coast Connect today TU reporter Emily Bloch, who is off to an impressive start, was asked about why there is some resistance to the referendum from city council members and she said, some of them think that November is to soon because there will be a small turnout and they are concerned about the cost.

Um, no, no, no, non, no, nooooooo!!!!

These are just talking points because if they said, well our schools failing is okay because we want more charters, wouldn't go over that well.

The City Council could care less about a small turn out as evident by our last city elections when about 25 percent of the city came out (even less for the final election).

Last year they could have said, well when we don't have city elections during the mid terms or presidential years we get a low turnout so we will have our elections in the Fall and just do the changeover in July but that didn't happen because the power structure of the city recognizes that when its not a big national election Jax has a low turnout and that benefits them.

Another reason they want to wait is they know Tallahassee will probably pass another round of awful legislation including mandating tax referendums be shared proportionally with charters rather than based on need, something people like Gary Chartrand are already pushing for.

Furthermore I guarantee you if the mayor thought he could liquidate JEA this fall, here would be a referendum on the ballot.

Then cost, hoo boy, the district has said they would already pay for the referendum and if it were to pass they would save five million. Isn't it good practice to spend a million to save five? Or course it is.

No, the referendum has nothing to do with timing or cost, but it has to do with money and that's charters want a bigger share of the pot and they are willing to risk the health and the future of the city to get it and that is straight up shameful.  

Gary Chartrand only wants extra money for his charter school, don't be fooled into thinking his opposition to the referendum is anything else.

In the Times Union today Gary Chartrand said he just wanted things to be fair between public schools and charter schools. Sounds nice right?

Well how is it fair that his charter school annually has received millions extra in tax payer money by politicians he donated too? This year it was Jason Fischer putting an extra two million in the state budget and two years ago they got an extra three quarters of a million from Lenny Curry. Most charter schools get what they get and that is it.

You know Chartrand was on the board of education for 8 years and I don't think its a coincidence that during that time charters got more and more powerful and public schools were starved and bludgeoned with accountability. Do you think that's fair?

You know what, even charter school operators should be outraged by Chartrand. If their schools need money the school board has said they will share based on needs, but I suspect Chartrand wants the referendum to fail, because it will hurt our public schools and his charter school which  already gets millions in public money, extra, courtesy of the politicians he has in his pocket won't be hurt in the least. It's win win for him..

If I were a charter school operator I would tell Gary to shut it.

Chartrand is the villain of the story and he is hoodwinking the city for his selfish goals.