We have often heard of the Florida miracle, as recounted by former Governor Jeb Bush.
Remember the Tezas miracle?
I know there was no Texas miracle.
This reader says there was no Florida miracle.
Archives for category: Florida
No surprise here. The biggest of the for-profit virtual school corporations, K12, has as many as 275 students to one teacher, according to this report in Florida.
This is what is described by promoters of the “Ten Elements” of digital learning as personalized, customized learning for the 21st century. Others might call it a profitable scam.
Remember P.T. Barnum said that there is a sucker born every minute. Someone else said that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the human race.
K12 proves the cynics right.
Jonathan Pelto reports on Jeb Bush’s recent visit to Connecticut. While there, he saluted the “reforms” pushed through the legislature by Governor Dannell Malloy, especially his efforts to curb teachers’ tenure and seniority. And he boasted about Florida’s achievement (he didn’t mention the class size reduction initiative, which voters approved and he tried to roll back). And choice, choice, choice!
Funny that no one mentioned that Connecticut is one of the top two or three states in the nation on NAEP, even though it has strong teachers’ unions, seniority and tenure. It is far ahead of Florida. Since when does a state whose students are ABOVE the national average (8th grade math, NAEP) take lessons from one that is well below the national average?
This blogger wondered who was appointed to the Florida state board. This is a powerful board that selects the state commissioner of education and sets policy for the children, teachers, and schools of the state. The board has given the green light to charters, vouchers, online schools, for-profit schools, any alternative that anyone can dream of.
Who are these people? Read the post and you will understand.
Read it and you will see how Florida became a Mecca for privatization.
Stephen Dyer raises the question about whether Ohio will follow in Florida’s path and open an investigation of the K12 for-profit school. In Ohio, K12 has classes of 51 students to a single teacher even though it is paid to have a ratio of 20:1.
That is way profitable for K12, though not for the students.
Dyer’s article includes a link to a story about the sharp drop in K12’s stock price that occurred after news of the Florida investigation broke. That story points out that K12 is under investigation in Georgia as well as Florida.
You do have to wonder at what point Secretary of Education Arne Duncan might speak out against the poor quality of online for-profit charter schools and other for-profit entrepreneurs that raid school budgets and produce terrible results. Will he?
K12, the giant cyber corporation that sells for-profit schooling, is in trouble in Seminole County, Florida, because the state insists that teachers must be certified. But having certified teachers is more expensive than having uncertified teachers, which cuts into K12’s profit margins.
The Florida Department of Education has opened an investigation into K12.
So, you can see, this is a big problem for regulators, who have this quaint attachment to the idea that teachers should meet a standard of some sort, but also for K12, whose profit margins are at risk.
You will note in the first article that K12 has another problem: The NCAA refuses to accept the credits of K12’s online program Aventa Learning, because of low standards. So student athletes hoping to get a quick and easy degree by point-and-click will have to enroll elsewhere, perhaps in a real school.
Former Governor Jeb Bush has been selling online schooling all over the country, as a win-win (cut costs, make money), and he wields influence in Florida. The investigation should be interesting.
Last spring, Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee tried to push the phony “parent trigger” legislation through the Florida legislature. It seemed to be a slam-dunk, since the legislature is controlled by Republicans and the governor is Republican, and the skids were greased to turn more public schools over to the charter corporations. These corporations give generous campaign contributions, so the table was set to add to their portfolios.
But they forgot about the parents, the alleged beneficiaries of the “trigger.”
Florida parent organizations turned out in force to oppose the “trigger.” They knew what the game was, and they knew it was not for their benefit that Bush and Rhee and ALEC were so eager to “empower” them with the ability to give their public school to a corporation. The Florida PTA and groups like Testing is Not Teaching, Fund Education Now, and 50th No More opposed the “trigger.”
Parents made a difference. They understood that the goal of the “trigger” is to shoot public education in the heart. They convinced enough Republican senators to vote against the bill that it ended in a 20-20 deadlock in the state senate. Of course, the forces of greed will return again, but parents will organize again.
Parents in Chicago are organizing to support the Chicago Teachers Union. One group, the parents of the 19th Ward, have been outspoken. I got this email today:
I wanted to share this post, which was written by Nellie Cotton, an involved Chicago Public Schools parent, an activist who speaks truth to power in a snap, a strong CTU supporter and a woman I am so happy to call my friend. Nellie has agreed to let me forward her post. I think it speaks to the experience a lot of parents have had in CPS, but not a lot have taken up the cause as brilliantly as Nellie.
Maureen Cullnan
19th Ward Parents
I was just thinking of how I became involved in all this and of all the wonderful people who have helped me become empowered. Please forgive me for rambling.
All this first started about three years ago when due to budget cuts, we were going to lose positions. One of those was an exceptionally gifted and beloved teacher, Miss Susan Cummings. Miss Cummings is simply amazing as a teacher. Her love of teaching and her “spark” are palpable. I felt helpless. Not knowing what to do, I approached my LSC for guidance, only to be told this happens, nothing you can do against CPS and, by the way, “Where were you when this issue first came up? “
I could not let this rest. My daughter Cecilia (she was Miss Cummings’ student) and I went door to door with a petition demanding her position not be cut. We collected 261 signatures and went to a board meeting to present them, sent copies of the same stuff every Tuesday and Thursday to our congressman, House Speaker Michael Madigan, and to Mayor Daley. I went to the monthly CPS school board meetings. Then one day as I had given CPS CEO Ron Huberman my weekly packet, I coincidentally met that dynamo ,Karen Lewis. She was president-elect of the CTU and she introduced me to Jesse Sharkey, who took my information and urged me to join CORE, any parent groups, or my LSC because “Parents and teachers must work together to be effective.”
I knew then she was a dynamic force.
We are grateful we still have our Miss Cummings!
Fast forward to Mayor Emanuel pushing longest day on CPS schools. Again I was shot down by my LSC, as this was a done deal, I was told. CPS had several staff people come talk to the parents and tell them it was a done deal, accept it.
I couldn’t! I knew better.
My mother picketed and boycotted in order to get a high school built in Pilsen. I had been active in keeping Pope John Paul II school open! Again I started with petitions, signs and red bows on trees. I asked to use Lawler Park to have an informational meeting and, honestly, did not have a real grasp on all the issues at the time. I was struggling with medical issues, my Mom was terminally ill, and I was just going on faith.
The day of my meeting, I realize now that I had no grasp of the issues. I was going on moxie alone. I was so blessed to have Maureen and Christine contact me out of the blue and take time to do a presentation on the issue at hand. I was blown away. They came armed with information and passion. They are incredible! Through them and because of them, I have met so many other fantastic people that are affecting positive changes and inspire me every day. Wendy Katten, Erica Clark, Kelly, Jennie, Becky, Laura and Jimmy, The 19th Ward Parents, I am proud to know you, you guys ROCK! And so many others …
If nothing more, this journey has afforded me the opportunity to meet such incredible people. Thank you for advocating for what truly matters!
Nellie Cotton
CPS parent
I missed this article when it was published several months ago.
It says that 86% of charters in Florida have no students with severe disabilities.
Thats not right.
State Representative Reggie Fullwood is a hero for public education in Florida. He is encouraging the state board of education to select a state commissioner who will advocate for the state’s beleaguered public schools, not vouchers and rapacious charter entrepreneurs. He also wants a sane testing system that is not high stakes.
Florida’s Next Education Commissioner, Statement by Rep. Reggie Fullwood
by FLHOUSEDEMS on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 10:58am ·
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2012
CONTACT: Mark Hollis
Rep. Reggie Fullwood Statement Regarding
Characteristics of Florida’s Next Education Commissioner
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Representative Reggie Fullwood (D-Jacksonville) issued the following statement regarding the State Board of Education’s approval today of the “desired characteristics” it wants in Florida’s next education commissioner.
Representative Fullwood sent a letter to former State Board Chair Kathleen Shanahan on Thursday asking that the next commissioner be a strong advocate for public schools, reduce the state’s reliance on standardized high-stakes testing for accountability purposes, and consider all education stakeholders’ thoughts and concerns as Florida contemplates new education reforms.
The following is a statement from Representative Fullwood about today’s Board action:
“It is gratifying that the State Board of Education appears to be making it a priority to hire a commissioner who is committed to obtaining the input of parents and education stakeholders as future education reforms are contemplated. However, it is disappointing that the Board, by its actions today, remains anxious to hire yet another advocate for private-schools vouchers or a proponent of private virtual school operators. I believe Floridians expect our next state education commissioner to be committed – first and foremost — to Florida’s public schools and public school students.”
Below is the text of a letter submitted Thursday by Representative Fullwood:
September 6, 2012
Ms. Kathleen Shanahan
Chair, State Board of Education
325 W. Gaines Street
Suite 1520
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Dear Chair Shanahan and members of the State Board of Education:
I have read with interest the criteria you are considering in the search for a new commissioner of education. As a legislator who is significantly concerned about the future of our state’s system of education, I urge you to amend your search criteria to ensure that Florida hires a commissioner who will bring a more collaborative approach as we strive to create the best school system in the United States. This means that our next commissioner should be willing to work with parents, educators, local school boards, and all legislators regardless of party affiliation.
In advance of your scheduled Friday telephone conference call on the topic, I urge you to give consideration to the following:
Specifically, among desired characteristics the State Board of Education may want to add to its list of criteria are: a Commissioner of Education who: (1) will aggressively advocate on behalf of Florida’s public schools; (2) is committed to working in a bipartisan fashion and engage in cooperative dialogue with all legislators, local officials and others regardless of political affiliation; (3) is committed developing a broadly based public school assessment system that relies more heavily on tests and measures designed for assessment purposes instead of using high stakes standardized tests for punishing and rewarding students, teachers and schools; and (4) will work cooperatively with all key stakeholders in the education community, including but not limited to representatives of teacher organizations, superintendents and parent groups.
In addition, I would encourage the Board to give serious consideration to additional recommendations that have been offered today in a letter to Governor Rick Scott from a coalition of parent and teacher groups. In their letter, the coalition group states that Florida needs a commissioner who (1) will collaborate with parents, educators, community organizations, and local elected officials to restructure the flawed accountability system into a credible system that informs and improves learning, rather than punishes; (2) is committed to ensuring that districts eliminate zero tolerance and implement fair, supportive and non-exclusionary disciplinary practices, in keeping with Florida’s groundbreaking 2009 state law (3) will promote the wise use of limited public dollars to support teaching and learning practices that prepare all students for college and career success, rather than an excessive focus on narrow definitions of achievement through testing (4) will maintain the Task Force on Accountability for Exceptional Education, Special Needs, and English Language Learners as an advisory board; and (5) is free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with regard to privatization, test publishing, or lobbying.
Thank you for taking my concerns and recommendations seriously.
Sincerely,
Reggie Fullwood, State Representative
Florida House District 15
cc: Florida Governor Rick Scott
Democratic Speaker-designate Perry Thurston
Republican Speaker-designate Will Weatherford
Rep. REGGIE FULLWOOD (D-Jacksonville)
Rick Roach is a school board member in Orange County, Florida. He took the state test, the FCAT, and concluded that it is a very poor measure of student learning and is consuming far too much instructional time.
Rick Roach joins the honor roll of champions of public education. The honor roll consists of people who fight for good education for all children; who oppose privatization and high-stakes testing; and who break ranks and take risks to speak out. They may be state board members, local school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and concerned citizens.
A reader sent this story about him.
Last winter, when he took the FCAT, he failed both sections. He said he knew none of the answers to the math questions, but managed to get 62% on the reading section. His story was written up by Marion Brady for Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet column in the Washington Post.
Roach said this to Brady:
“A test that can determine a student’s future life chances should surely relate in some practical way to the requirements of life. I can’t see how that could possibly be true of the test I took.”
Then he added, “It makes no sense to me that a test with the potential for shaping a student’s entire future has so little apparent relevance to adult, real-world functioning. Who decided the kind of questions and their level of difficulty? Using what criteria? To whom did they have to defend their decisions? As subject-matter specialists, how qualified were they to make general judgments about the needs of this state’s children in a future they can’t possibly predict? Who set the pass-fail “cut score”? How?”
“I can’t escape the conclusion that decisions about the [state test] in particular and standardized tests in general are being made by individuals who lack perspective and aren’t really accountable.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 