The League of Women Voters supports her bill.
So does government watchdog Integrity Florida.
Itwill beipposed by Academica, Charter Schools USA, and Imagine, the big for-profit chains. It will be opposed by Jeb Bush, Governor DeSantis, and Betsy DeVos. It will beopposed by profiteers and grifters.
Bill to exempt school taxes for people 65 and over a slippery slope to chaos | Commentary
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/lake/lauren-ritchie/os-ne-lauren-ritchie-school-tax-homestead-20190201-story.html
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/286887-exempt-seniors-tax-school-districts
Voters just turned down a higher homestead exemption in the midterms because they knew it would harm schools. I could see giving poor elderly a break on school taxes, but there are many well to do elderly in the state that should pay their fair share to the common good. I live in Florida and do not use the schools, but I am happy to pay my taxes to contribute to the future of the state. Somebody paid for me to get my education, and now I must pay for others. It is an investment in the common good. Florida has too many people that buy into libertarian individualism. What’s next, young people should stop paying into social security because they do not need it now? People need to consider the bigger picture and social responsibility.
“I could see giving poor elderly a break on school taxes….”
Why? Do the elderly not need well educated doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers, elected officials, etc.? Do the elderly not have grandkids and great grandkids whose education they care about?
Education is not a private benefit that one ages out of when one’s own kids are grown and gone. Education benefits everyone in society regardless of age or reproductive status.
starve the public schools, force a loyalty to alternatives
This bill is greatly needed in Florida, but I doubt it will pass as the grifters are running the legislature. People in the state should call their state representatives and encourage them to vote for it. A groundswell of public support may sway some legislators to do the right thing. Florida charters are among the most corrupt in the nation as there is little to no regulation or oversight of this scurrilous industry. Banning the profiteers would be a great step in the right direction.
The voter has an important role to play but often does not realize it, and does not take steps to change or affect things. And this would apply to many of the people who are most to be affected by for profit schools.
Sometimes we don’t even know which politician stands for charter and which do not. which support public schools and which do not. There are many people, particularly the poor ones who live day to day and accept the state of things as they accept the color of the sky.
Worse, far too many of these people do not read and will not find out what is happening.
I know because I came to twitter and was shown a world of scheming and school take over which I had not seen before, and it had been there for decades.
Diane-
Want to be sure that readers are aware of some husband and wife teams in the Florida charter industry—may help connect dots. You may have heard of Richard Corcoran , (R) legislator who is now Commissioner of Ed., as well as Cecil Donalds, another (R) legislator who helped push through charter legislation which benefits them. Their wives, however, are also on the front lines of charter policy. Erika Donalds recently left Collier County School Board, clearing the way to make charters such as Ann Corcoran’s Classical Prep. such a sweet deal. Many marital hands are behind Florida’s reign-free charter n choice chariot.
This bill may go nowhere – but the filing of it is important and should be replicated across the country.
See below: “Roughly one in four respondents takes no position on charter schools, perhaps reflecting the fact that many Americans remain unfamiliar with them.”
I expect most voters and the millions whose kids go to public schools know anything about the charter / voucher world and how it affects their public school funding. In the suburbs and rural America, they are a non-issue (except the wealthy die-hards who want vouchers and credits to support exclusive private schools). In cities, parents are bombarded with advertising but still, most think it’s “choice” or just another option.
Few understand how state and federal dollars are taken from their schools. They are unaware of the fraud, mismangement, and profiteering. They pay little attention to who is taking over their boards one seat at a time (local and state).
Keep filing these bills. Most are unaware of state legislation, particularly topics that do not affect them directly (or they don’t realize it affects them). The “school choice” advocates are planting landmines everywhere.
From “The 2017 EdNext poll on School Reform” https://www.educationnext.org/2017-ednext-poll-school-reform-public-opinion-school-choice-common-core-higher-ed/#_schoolchoice
“First, the decline: 39% of respondents say they support “the formation of charter schools,” which is down steeply from 51% in 2016, but still a bit higher than the 36% who express opposition this year. (Roughly one in four respondents takes no position on charter schools, perhaps reflecting the fact that many Americans remain unfamiliar with them.) Support has also fallen within the minority community—from 46% to 37% among blacks, and from 44% to 39% among Hispanics.”
The whole “Red for Ed” walk-outs and strikes have shed some light on the hidden costs of privatization. Many people across the country are unaware of the impact of privatization costs and how they impact public schools. Finally, the veil of secrecy is being lifted.
The downside is that the more attention it gets the more people the movement attracts, too (hmm, like the president’s views on race, climate change, nationalism, etc.).
Still, 1/2 of his base is billionaires but the other 1/2 most like send their kids to public schools. They’d love prayer and censorship – but giving their tax money to support charters would not go over well. We need to help them follow their money.
This bill will be opposed by Betsy (the brainless) DeVos too.
Why limit it to for-profit? “Non-profit” charter schools are often for-profit by another name. High executive salaries, lavish self-dealing real estate deals, furniture, food-service and other contracts with connected individuals, keeping said furniture (and even the building) if the charter goes under – all that and many other ways to profit off a “non-profit”.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
Is Fordham spending any clout or money to promote the bill?
Would that answer be a “No”?