Coach Bob Sikes wonders if Florida Republicans will learn a lesson from Georgia Republicans.
In Georgia, the Republicans pulled back on a so-called Parent Trigger bill, which would enable a vote of parents to convert their community school into a privately managed charter school.
In Florida, the Jeb Bush foundation and the Chamber of Commerce are beating the drums for the “parent trigger” again, even though it has only been used once in the nation (in California) and no one knows the results. Why not faith-based legislation?
What does it matter if Florida has closed over 200 failing charter schools? What does it matter if half the schools on the state’s list of failing schools are charters?
Why delay when corporations stand ready and willing to make a profit by extracting money from public schools and sending it to their investors?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I sure hope so. Jeb Bush’s foundation submitted a brochure expelling some of “myths” behind the law (http://afloridapromise.org/Docs/2013%20Leg%20Session/Myth%20v.%20Fact%20-%20Parent%20Empowerment.pdf).
I see the brochure going against itself. It dismisses the state PTA’s opposition to the bill by stating that the group does not represent most parents. The foundation properly notes that the schools who need the most help are likely to have the least PTA members. However, in the next bullet point, the brochure says “hundreds of studies” show that parental involvement increases student achievement. We can’t have it both ways.
We oftentimes hear of lower income schools having to BEG parents to get involved and participate in activities while the suburbs are overflowing with parents ready to participate. So, instead of going on a campaign to get more parents involved in their existing schools using already available options such as the PTA and the School Advisory Council (http://www.flbsi.org/schoolimprove/schadvisorycouncils.htm), they just want to coax parents into signing their schools’ rights over to charter companies.
If Jeb Bush’s foundation wants to disregard the 350K Florida PTA voters, so be it. Legislators may have a different take.
Will legislators want to ignore them and the others on this impressive list below? What I’ve asked legislators will they put Jeb’s foundation ahead of their re-election?
Here are the organizations we’ve gathered who produced statements opposing Parent Trigger — THUS FAR! Stay tuned for more.
WE STAND UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO FL’S PARENT EMPOWERMENT/aka PARENT TRIGGER BILL…..
FL LULAC (League of United Latin American CitIzens)
FL NAACP
FL URBAN LEAGUE OF PBC
FL HISPANIC CAUCUS
FL NATIONAL WOMENS POLITICAL CAUCUS
FL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
FL NAFE (National Assoc of Female Execs)
FL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION
FL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION
FL PTA
FL GIFTED NETWORK
PARENTS ACROSS AMERICA-FL
TESTING IS NOT TEACHING OF PBC
50th NO MORE
SUPPORT DUVAL SCHOOLS
FUND EDUCATION FLORIDA
MARIONS UNITED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
SARASOTA PARENTS
COALITION OF CENTRAL FL PARENTS
There is nothing wrong with the Parent Trigger is parents and teachers are allowed to use it without being forced to a privatization or corporatization route such as a charter school. In California, at least, parents, teachers and community are legally able to Trigger a school and put up their own plan and run the school themselves without a charter or such. What is wrong with that when there are some very obstinate school districts and administrators out there who just do not care. We are trying to get people to use that tool in the box for themselves not to enrich the ruling class. I would like to hear someone argue against this point if they can. Who says a charter or other privatizer is the only one able to do this??????
George,
I don’t think that schools should be run by parents unless the parents are professional educators.
In California, at least, the Parent Trigger can also be used for the school to be controlled by the parents, teachers and community not by the corporate privatizers. In California this is law. Now that it is law the concept and law is not controlled by the corporate privatizers but by the public if they choose to use it for their not the corporate privatizers benefit. Now expand your thinking. Why not use what they thought was their “Trojan Horse” against them for your benefit. Politics is the “Art of the Possible.” How did Lenin almost solely direct the Russian Revolution in 1917? He saw opportunity. I am asking all of you to think “Outside of the Box” and achieve the “OUTCOME” you deserve and desire. We all talk about critical and conceptual thinking. Now is the time to really do this.
THese schools are NOT turned over to parents. In both cases, for profit charter operators were at the ready and THAT is exactly why this law is being enacted. Wake up.Parents cannot run a school. With what money? If you want your school culture to change, then GET INVOLVED.
Take control of the “Parent Trigger” yourselves and run the school with parents, teachers and community. Who says you have to give control of the school to others unless your state legislation says so. If it does not do not give in to them. You probably have more experienced and knowledge based people than they do. So if the law does not exclude from taking control of the “Parent Trigger” do it. Do what I call a reverse twist on them by using their own law to your better purpose and outcome for our youth.
If parents really want to change education, they really need to prepare their children to be ready to be students. Children whose parents haven’t taught them cooperation, following directions, sitting still, paying attention, completing tasks without objection and many other skills are doing their children no favors. Too many times, parents want to control what and how their children are taught in school when they haven’t bothered to teach civility or respect. If teachers didn’t have to deal with modifying child behavior, they would have a better opportunity to educate in the academic areas. Our testing problem is a poor “answer” to a very misguided society. Testing won’t change the outcomes. Good parenting which allows for good learning we ill.
There’s something irresistible about stereotyping a group of people such as parents. Educated people shouldn’t do it where problem solving is needed. My point of view as a parent is that teachers are overloaded first and foremost, and things go downhill from there. I have shadowed 3 of my children, and it seemed intrusive as parents usually don’t do it. As a substitute, I noticed students often respond with the energy they receive. Students are no more disrespectful than administration.
An audiotape I once heard of a Pinellas County ESE teacher and her class made me sad for all of her students. She was an unkind teacher.
Nevertheless, I have signed an anti-Parent Trigger Bill for Florida. I hope parents don’t believe the Parent Trigger con. At the same time, public school students are the bread and butter of the administration, but are treated as scapegoats. PTA stands for Parent Teacher Association. Parents and teachers really do need to associate, and stand up for public education. If they don’t, then the teachers will be the bread and butter along with the students. From my perspective, both teachers and students deserve better.
Corporate reformers and uninformed members of the public are attacking teachers for not being “good” enough in the classroom. How is it possible then, that the better answer would be people that have never been in a classroom? It’s one thing to be an involved, informed parent – quite another to be an effective classroom teacher (and by effective, I don’t mean the students are getting high scores on standardized tests). There’s strength in numbers. Parents and teachers working together to improve public education will achieve more than any trigger bill.
Rep Carlos Trujillo (R) Miami, a sponsor of FL’s Parent Empowerment/aka Parent Trigger Bill, was caught in a web of deceptive half truths, spin, and deception by Politifact. This never ends!
Take note of the lies in this article because they are no doubt being used in other states as well!
As our activist-ally and prolific blogger & friend, Coach Sikes, speculates: This will continue as the clock counts down to the trigger vote in the FL Senate?
Note: With 26 Republican Senators to 14 Democrats again this year, we are working harder than ever to defeat this bill. We are also working a parallel strategy to seek a veto from FL Gov Scott should this bill be passed. We plan a parent protest rally the week of April 7th bus’ing in “Real Florida parents” from around the state.
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2013/mar/27/carlos-trujillo/carlos-trujillo-says-top-advisers-bill-clinton-and/
We will not go down without being heard around the state. We take heart in knowing that this serves to build and fortify our FL parent coalitions around the state.
If we cannot defeat this bill and the other five (5) very bad privatization of public education bills in our state, we will defeat those who hoisted this upon us.
You can bet your bubble test that every one of our members will work to put an Education Governor in Tallahassee next year.
One way or the other, we will persist. We will prevail. We will win. .