School groups call on Gov. Rick Scott to veto education bill

Legislation would steer more money to privately run charter schools

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A growing number of groups are calling on Florida Gov. Rick Scott to veto a sweeping education bill that was put together in the waning hours of this year's legislative session.

The Florida School Boards Association on Tuesday sent a letter asking Scott to veto the legislation that passed earlier this month. The state's school superintendents are also asking the Republican governor to reject the bill.

The legislation (HB 7069) 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. It also includes extra money for a program that provides services to disabled school children.

The legislation was a top priority for House Speaker Richard Corcoran. School choice groups, as well as a group of conservative school board members, want the governor to sign the bill.

Meanwhile, Orange County Public Schools held its state of the schools address on Wednesday.

OCPS said it has seen a positive turnaround in the past decade when it comes to student progress, but they fear a rollback in progression because of looming state education cuts.

Superintendent Barbara M. Jenkins and School Board Chair Bill Sublette expressed their concerns at the event, which is meant to highlight the accomplishments and struggles of the past year.

OCPS said the budget cuts would be detrimental to their school district, which they say are already weighed down by underpaid teachers, a teacher shortage and excessive growth with English as second language students.

"Public education took a gut punch when it took it from the Legislature with this legislation they passed," Sublette said.

OCPS said the proposed $419 million budget cuts per-student funding, leaves programs for vulnerable students in jeopardy, and disproportionately helps charter schools, while neglecting public schools.

Sublette said the funding is lower today than it was during the height of the recession.

"We're actually markedly behind where we were 10 years ago, and we've actually filled the gaps and had programs, but again we can't continue to operate this way," he said.

The district also touted its programs aimed at helping students in poverty, students of color, and foreign-born. 

Superintendent Jenkins also pointed out that OCPS had the largest lead in the state, and is 8th in the country when it came to AP course placement and AP exam success.

The district plans to join the growing list of state-wide school districts who have petitioned the governor to veto the budget.

 


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