New Proposed Bill Targets School Boards

This is how they want to help education? Sure seems like political payback…

On Tuesday, two Florida State Legislators, Sen. Jeff Brandes (R), and Rep. Matt Caldwell (R), filed bills to ask Florida voters to amend the state constitution Article IX on education to permit abolishment of local school districts by law, and to change School Board elections from “nonpartisan” back to “partisan”.

I encourage you all to read Times Writer, Jeff Solochek, article, “Proposal aims to alter Florida school districts” in the Tampa Bay Times for better understanding of the bill; http://home.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/proposal-aims-to-alter-florida-school-districts/2252653

Parents, students, teachers, administrators, superintendents and school boards have been speaking out critically this year about the many negative impacts the “educational reforms” (such as student and school accountability systems, Florida Standards, and high stakes testing mandates), have had on our students, which the Florida Legislature has put into law over the last several years. With all the actual monumental public educational overhauls that these Florida stakeholders have made abundantly clear that are needed, this was not one of them.

It is hard to not identify this bill as political payback by these Legislators, and their desire to change State Constitution to permit them to pass more laws to further control School Boards and local schools even more.

What seems to make this even clearer that it is all about politics and not what is best for students, is the Legislators desire to change School Board elections from “nonpartisan” back to “partisan”. Our School Boards should be focused on our students and not partisan agendas. I would suggest that a far better proposed State Constitution amendment would be to remove the word “partisan” from the School Superintendents elections and all local elections.

I urge us to contact our Legislators and encourage them and their colleagues to not support this bill in any way.

We will continue to monitor this bill over the coming months and will keep you posted.

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