Now here is a refreshing story from Florida.
Republican State Senator Tom Lee says he is fed up with the legislature’s micromanagement of education policy. Moreover, he actually noticed that the Legislature spends most of its time on 20% of the state’s students while ignoring the other 80% who attend public schools.
“As I talk to members, I don’t think there’s anyone quite where I am yet, but I’m fed up,” said the former Senate President. “With a Legislature that spends 80% of its time focusing on 20% of the students, we might as well name our education committee the committee on charter schools and vouchers. And if we get into this budget, I got plenty to say about our education budget as well.”
Lee complains there’s not a lot of flexible spending money for school districts, especially because of HB 5007, which the Legislature passed earlier this year. It changes how much state employees must contribute to the pension system. And it could end up costing school districts nearly $233 million statewide.
“I just think that until we get our foot off the neck of local school districts,” he said. “Let these school boards’ constitutionally elected officers manage the school districts. Get rid of some of these categoricals and stop micromanaging.”
Lee says that he’s just not interested in micromanaging and implementing punitive measures to create unequal competition between choice, charter and public schools. He says sometimes he feels like Republicans have run out of good ideas.
“Until you get a chance to go ‘mano a mano‘ with people on this floor and tell the truth and play a little game of show and tell here about what’s really going on, you’re not going to move public policy in this state because the fix is in.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Flor-uh-duh. We try to be a model of incompetence and graft for the entire nation. As our own King Con of Mar-a-lago might put it, we’re “the best” there. Even North Carolina doesn’t come close.
Refreshing. Yes. LOL. Anyone who needs a good laugh can just check out the latest antics of the Florida Legislature and Gun Club.
How refreshing to hear some truth telling and I think it applies to more than Florida. I wish for some legislators in Ohio who would be this candid.
Lee must not have gotten The Memo. CBK
“With a Legislature that spends 80% of its time focusing on 20% of the students, we might as well name our education committee the committee on charter schools and vouchers.”
Bravo!
Look at your own state legislature. Odds are if it’s packed with ed reformers, they’re spending all of their time on charters and vouchers too.
When they drop into your legislative district asking to be re-elected ask them a simple question- “what have you accomplished for public school students this year?”
Most of them won’t be able to name a single thing.
Well, ed reformers have accomplished one thing regarding public school students this year- they regularly portray our schools and students as failing in order to promote the charter and private schools they prefer – that’s their “contribution”.
They’re professional, full time critics of public schools and public school students.
No positive or practical contribution at all- just scolding and negative portrayals.
Chiara” (“Reformers”) are “professional, full time critics of public schools and public school students. . . . No positive or practical contribution at all- just scolding and negative portrayals.”
That makes them political hacks, not “professionals.”
Oh, wait . . . maybe they are “professional political hacks.” CBK
That a Republican in a super-R-majority State broke w/ the anything-charter-goes legislature is similar to Romney’s vote for impeachment. You just don’t do that, you traitor.
Florida educators: You GO, Sen. Lee!
Absolutely, Ms. Ranch!
Senator Tom Lee is a hero.
Thank you, Senator Lee!!! Can we clone you?
OFFLINE NOTE TO BOB SHEPHERD: Please identify yourself as a citizen and not as a demxxxxx. CBK
LOL. Democrat, Demon–many folks here in Flor-uh-duh can’t tell the difference.
Perhaps there is hope after all. It has always seemed to me that the behavior of Republicans in regard to education is contrary to their advocacy of local determination. Maybe some will wake up and realize they are acting outside of their philosophical perspective.
Paul Bonner Over and again I have found myself thinking, “now THIS will wake them up.” And over and gain, NADA. So I began thinking perhaps when the jackboots show up on their driveway to abscond take their children away.
If it’s not a cult, it’s definitely cult-ish; and in cults, good reason has no place. CBK