Peter Schorsch
Governor Rick Scott will sign into law a sweeping education bill that would steer more money to privately run charter schools, require recess in elementary schools, and tinker with the state’s oft-criticized standardized testing system.
An informed legislative source told FloridaPolitics.com Monday morning that Scott will sign HB 7069 in Orlando on Thursday.
The legislation, which was a top priority for House Speaker Richard Corcoran, barely edged out of the Florida Senate on a 20-18 vote where some Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the measure. Corcoran said that the changes are even more dramatic than the A+ plan put in by former Gov. Jeb Bush nearly two decades ago that created the state’s first voucher program and created the state’s current school grading system.
“It is the greatest public school bill in the history of Florida,” Corcoran said after the bill was sent to Gov. Scott.
The Senate vote came after intense debate in which opponents contended the legislation was a give-away to charter schools, which are public schools that are run by private organizations and sometimes managed by for-profit companies.
The nearly 300-page bill includes a long list of education changes that legislators had been considering. But the final bill was negotiated largely in private and was not seen by the public until last week.
Included in the bill is a requirement that elementary schools must set aside 20 minutes each day for “free-play recess,” although at the last minute charter schools were exempted from the mandate. The bill includes more than $200 million for teacher and principal bonuses.
Bowing to criticism about Florida’s testing regimen, the measure eliminates the Algebra 2 end-of-course exam and pushes back the date in the school year when students must take Florida’s main standardized test.
Another major part of the bill creates the “Schools of Hope” program that would offer financial incentives to charter school operators who would agree to take students who now attending chronically failing schools, many of them in poor areas and urban neighborhoods. Additionally, up to 25 failing public schools may receive up to $2,000 per student for additional student services.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this post.
8 comments
Helen Byrd
June 12, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Let’s remain vigilant and not forget about this nail in the head of public education.
annette vinci
June 12, 2017 at 3:53 pm
Thank God! Do you know how many seniors walk on graduation day, only to find out late in June that they didn’t pass the Algebra 2 EOC? Even if they have straight A s. No diploma. These students are so stressed out it’s horrible.
james
June 13, 2017 at 12:21 am
i would imagine not too many seniors. i find it hard to believe that a student that EARNED straight A’s would fail an algebra 2 eoc. now if they were allowed to breeze through school without effort, that’s another thing,,
Donald
June 14, 2017 at 9:34 am
Or by not meeting FLVS requirements not properly tracked and advised by the school,.. How do you allow a student to “WALK” then?
John Mayer
June 21, 2017 at 7:09 pm
My daughter’s school started launching new online algebra 2 learning programs – so all day I am looking at these sites –
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra2
https://www.studypug.com/algebra-2
things are changing so quickly right now – can we stabilize our programs? kids need a stabile environment in order to excel.. not rapid change.
Kate Song
June 13, 2017 at 7:13 am
Dont think for one minute that for profit schools are interested in giving the best to kids… We need more teachers in the classrooms, plain and simple. It’s not rocket science. My legislator has received donations from the private school industry. Guess who he represents? it’s not me.
Randy
June 13, 2017 at 9:13 am
The bill was not seen by the public until last week is a statement if fact that is false. It was published on May 8, 2017. You can find that real fact here https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/7069
Karen
June 13, 2017 at 9:53 am
I don’t understand this “school of hope” thing because parents can send their children anywhere they want now. So is this a way to undermine the charter schools by bringing in troubled children?
Charter schools are a godsend to parents who want more for their children then to sit in a classroom where the troublemakers take over and the teachers cannot teach . Charter school parents care about their kids and make sacrifices to get their kids to a good school every day.
I think it’s outrageous that my tax dollars not only pay for public schools but now I have to pay more for special privileges to children whose parents just don’t care.
Why should parents who “care” continually subsidize parents who “don’t care”!!
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