Author: Susan

HB 1259

The House bill is on the Special Order Calendar for Tuesday, 4/25/23.

HB 1259 / SB 1328 Would give more capital outlay funding to charter schools at the expense of public schools.

We were told that charter schools could do it cheaper, but every year they ask for more and more of our tax dollars.

1. Five years ago, a deal was struck allowing that ,if charter school capital needs were adequately funded from state revenue (PECO funds, or Public Education Capital Outlay), public schools would not be required to share the local capital outlay revenue from their discretionary 1.5 millage levy. Since then, virtually ALL K-12 PECO funds have gone to charter schools. You can find how much PECO funds were given to each charter school by going to the FLDOE website:

http://www.fldoe.org/finance/fco/charter-school-capital-outlay/

2. The legislature forced us to give our local sales surtax dollars meant for neighborhood school renovations to charter schools on a per student basis rather than a needs basis in 2020 with HB 7097 beginning on line 1291:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/7097/BillText/er/PDF3.

3. HB 7069 —2017 forced local school boards to share our property taxes meant for neighborhood school renovations with charter schools on a per student rather than a needs basis. Beginning on line 3866:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/7069/BillText/er/PDF

4. Former Senate President Gaetz’ stated that it was “time to end the self-dealing” in a Miami Herald 2016 article.

5.Excerpt from this article: Those leases, paid for by tax dollars that go to the charter schools … allows the related private corporation that owns the school to reap enormous profit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/09/14/charter-school-scams/

6. Please take a look at page 20 of this report:
https://www.integrityflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Charterschoolreport.pdf

During the House Appropriations meeting, Rep. Dotie Joseph asked Rep. Canady how her bill HB 1259 distributed capital outlay funding to charter schools based on demonstrated need, as recommended by OPPAGA. Rep. Canady didn’t answer the question because the bill doesn’t follow the advice of OPPAGA.

Please ask your rep to vote no! Please stop the defunding of our neighborhood schools and the ignoring of expert advice.

Before the state legislature gives any more capital outlay funding to charter schools, they need to strengthen f.s. 1013.62(5). My suggestion:

Strengthen F.S. 1013.62 (5) in at least two ways:

1.Allow the school board to deny new charter applications if 100% of the tax for capital outlay funds and the assets they purchased can’t be recouped by the school district if the charter school closes
2. Allow the school district to withhold distributions of the capital outlay funds until the charter contract stipulates how the capital outlay funds and the assets they purchase can be recouped if the charter school closes

Charter School Vulnerabilities to Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

Version 4 of HB 1

Excerpts from the 4th version of HB 1 analysis:

The bill retains the priority for FTC and FES-EO scholarships for those students whose household income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and creates a second priority for households with income not exceeding 400 percent of the FPL. The bill requires that SFOs review student eligibility annually, approve all expenditures prior to
disbursing any funds from the empowerment savings account. The bill expressly authorizes any school in Florida, including public charter schools, to permit a student to enroll part-time and provides that the student will be funded proportionally based on their time of attendance or as contracted services.

The bill expands eligibility for FTC scholarships to include any student who is a resident of Florida and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school. The parent of an eligible student will receive an empowerment savings account to choose among a variety of options to customize their child’s K-12 education. In addition to expanding FTC eligibility, the bill makes the following changes …

When the student receives a scholarship, the district school board is not obligated to provide the student with a free appropriate public education.

The bill expressly authorizes any public school in the state, including charter schools, to enroll a student on a part-time basis, subject to space and availability. Students that attend public school parttime generate FTE student membership consistent with the definition of “part-time student” currently in law. However, a student that receives a scholarship and attends public school on a part-time basis through contracted services provided by the public school or school district may not be reported for funding. The bill clarifies that students enrolled in public school part-time are not considered to be in regular attendance at a public school.

Email to Senate Appropriations Committee

———- Forwarded message ———

Subject: SB 202
To: <broxson.doug.web@flsenate.gov>, <rouson.darryl.web@flsenate.gov>, <baxley.dennis.web@flsenate.gov>, <book.lauren.web@flsenate.gov>, <bradley.jennifer.web@flsenate.gov>, Brodeur, Jason (web) <brodeur.jason.web@flsenate.gov>, Burgess, Danny <burgess.danny@flsenate.gov>, <davis.tracie@flsenate.gov>, <grall.erin@flsenate.gov>, Senator Joe Gruters <gruters.joe.web@flsenate.gov>, <harrell.gayle.web@flsenate.gov>, <hooper.ed.web@flsenate.gov>, <ingoglia.blaise@flsenate.gov>, <martin.jonathan@flsenate.gov>, <perry.keith.web@flsenate.gov>, <pizzo.jason.web@flsenate.gov>, <polsky.tina.web@flsenate.gov>, <powell.bobby.web@flsenate.gov>

Honorable Senators,

Analysis of SB 202 dated March 10th:
The cost is indeterminate at this time.
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/202/Analyses/2023s00202.aed.PDF

1. Please put a limit on the total expenditure so that the cost is not “indeterminate.” Representative Tuck has offered her estimate. Please make that amount or less the cap.

2. Also please put it as a separate line item in the budget and a guarantee it won’t hurt the funding of the neighborhood and magnet schools!  

3. Also please make it so only private schools that have a large endowment will be eligible for the voucher. Experience shows that schools with the vouchers as their only revenue are subpar. IF you don’t do this, then please at least have an accountability and transparency element of the bill so the taxpayers can be assured our money is spent ONLY on quality schools.

4. In addition to putting a dollar limit on the effect of the bill, please prioritize the vouchers as follows:

  • Kids with disabilities and family income less than 375% of poverty level
  • Kids with disabilities and family income less than $300,000
  • Other kids with family income less than $300,000 
  • Everyone else

5. Also please institute some sort of penalty if the private school misleads the parent as to what services they offer.  

I wish you wanted to make EVERY neighborhood school excellent and include lots of choices within each neighborhood school rather than funding the private schools which parents were willing to pay for themselves. Residents can opt out of public services, but it shouldn’t mean the taxpayers have to pay for it.

Email to Senate Appropriations Committee on Education

Here’s the latest Accountabaloney blog post about HB 1:
https://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2023/03/06/hb1-and-sb202-allow-double-dipping-that-should-be-fixed/

Excerpts:

THIS BLOG, however, is about how the voucher expansion bills appear to allow double dipping by ESA recipients when they enroll part-time in Florida’s traditional public, magnet or charter schools. This is a problem that needs to be fixed.  Currently part-time students (mostly homeschoolers) are funded through the state’s funding formula, the FEFP.  … Line 212 says the ESA can be used to purchase contracted services provided by a public school or school district, including classes, and makes it clear that part-time enrollment is not considered public school enrollment. No mention is made regarding the determination of costs for these contracted services.
Beginning on line 1324 of SB 202:

1002.44 Part-time public school enrollment.—
(1) Any public school in this state, including a charter school, may enroll a student on a part-time basis who meets the regular school attendance criteria in s. 1003.01(13)(b)-(e), subject to space and availability according to the school’s capacity determined pursuant to s. 1002.31(2)(b).
(2) A student attending a public school on a part-time basis pursuant to this section shall generate full-time equivalent student membership as described in s. 1011.61(1)(b).
(3) A student attending a public school on a part-time basis pursuant to this section is not considered to be in regular attendance at a public school as defined in s. 1003.01(13)(a).

Translating that legalese:
The bill says that ESAs [line 212] can be spent for contracted services, including taking classes on a part-time basis at a public school or school district. Later the bill says [line 1325] that part-time attendance at a public school is reimbursed via the FEFP, the state funding formula. Which is it? Do school districts negotiate contracts for services with ESA recipients or do they continue to get funded for part-time attendance via the FEFP? When my question was asked to House Appropriations staff, I was told the intention was to pay public schools via the FEFP, which would mean taxpayers would be paying double for ESA recipients to attend public schools part-time – once via the ESA and again via the district’s FEFP.

This is what I sent to the committee that will hear SB 202 on March 8, 2023:

———- Forwarded message ———
Subject: SB 202
To: broxson.doug.web@flsenate.gov, thompson.geraldine.web@flsenate.gov, harrell.gayle.web@flsenate.gov, perry.keith.web@flsenate.gov, jones.shevrin.web@flsenate.gov, avila.bryan@flsenate.gov, book.lauren@flsenate.gov, burton.colleen@flsenate.gov, calatayud.alexis@flsenate.gov, collins.jay@flsenate.gov, davis.tracie@flsenate.gov, hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov, simon.corey@flsenate.gov

SB202 will be heard in your committee on March 8 at 11am.

If students receiving the voucher money use public school services, then payment for those services should come out of their voucher money not via the FEFP. Please fix that. Otherwise taxpayers would be paying double for ESA recipients to attend public schools part-time – once via the ESA and again via the district’s FEFP. Please allow the school district to negotiate a fair price to be paid out of the voucher including the amount to cover the capital outlay funds that the school didn’t receive because the voucher student isn’t included in the per student count when the capital outlay funds are distributed.

If the students want to make use of the public school services or facilities, they need to reimburse the school district, i.e. the taxpayers. Parents can opt out of the public schools, but taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund that decision. If you continue to force taxpayers to fund that decision, you need to make sure that taxpayers are funding quality education in these alternative choices PLUS make sure it isn’t hurting the quality of our public schools.


Please don’t ignore the experience of Arizona and New Hampshire by underestimating the cost of the Universal Voucher expansion.  There needs to be a cap! How much can Florida’s budget handle before it starts to hurt the funding of our public schools?

Also, do millionaires really need this subsidy for the elite private school tuition of their children? The current income limit is 375% of poverty level. Raise it if you want, but don’t raise it to a family income of a million dollars. It’s outrageous that you want middle class families to subsidize the elite private school tuition of millionaires.

Just last week, the Idaho legislature rejected a similar Universal ESA bill with GOP lawmakers concerned they had “absolutely no clue what the dollar amount on this is” and saying “It’s actually against my conservative Republican perspective to hand this money out with no accountability that these precious tax dollars are being used wisely.”

Vote no on SB 202 or at least fix the problems.

Thanks,

HB 7 consequences

I lIstened to the school board workshop this morning as the school board tried to understand the ramifications of HB 7, 1557, and 1467

This statute was discussed as it relates to book banning. This statute is the consequence of 2022 HB 7. A few excerpts from 1000.05(4)(a):

 It shall constitute discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex under this section to subject any student or employee to training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such student or employee to believe any of the following concepts:

5. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex, bears responsibility for, or should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of, actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin, or sex.

6. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex, should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment to achieve diversity, equity, or inclusion.

7. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin, bears personal responsibility for and must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin, or sex.

8. Such virtues as merit, excellence, hard work, fairness, neutrality, objectivity, and racial colorblindness are racist or sexist, or were created by members of a particular race, color, national origin, or sex to oppress members of another race, color, national origin, or sex.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL

Teaching certification can be revoked for these reasons.

(J)Has violated the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession prescribed by State Board of Education rules.

(l) Has violated any order of the Education Practices Commission.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=1000-1099/1012/Sections/1012.795.html

This is part of Principles of Professional Conduct

Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex includes subjecting any student to training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such student to believe any of the concepts listed in Section 1000.05(4)(a), F.S.

https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/professional-practices/code-of-ethics-principles-of-professio.stml

The Oppermanns

The Oppermanns by Lion Feuchtwanger

The FCFS book discussion group is discussing this book the first Sunday in January 2023

I am formulating the discussion topics here. This is still WIP (work in progress)

Location: 35
It is not your duty to finish this novel, but neither are you free to neglect the history it preserves with such artistry, agony, and passion.

Location: 56
a novel about the German 1930s—a novel about pervasive surveillance and militarized policing, and about how the fake-news threats of “migrants” and “terrorism” can be manipulated to curtail civil liberties and crush democratic norms—will never be enough to prevent any of that from ever happening again.

Location: 110
the commercial success of the book only further imperiled its author. With the outbreak of war in September 1939, Feuchtwanger was detained by the French, … With the aid of American journalist Varian Fry, Marta contacted Hiram Bingham, the American vice-consul in Marseille, It was Bingham who planned Feuchtwanger’s escape, which was not without its farcical elements

Location: 138
the principle that art can, or even must, have a message; and that such art-with-a-message, which will always be dismissed as propaganda, is in fact the only available corrective to the real and actual propaganda of entrenched official power.

The above was the introduction to the book updated in 2022. Here’s a review by Cohen:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/books/review/lion-feuchtwanger-oppermanns.html

Begin excerpts from the book for discussion with possible discussion questions.

  1. Let’s discuss efforts to bring down prices. Why do people buy the less expensive products and then blame a scapegoat? For example, companies that move factories to countries where labor is cheaper aren’t boycotted but the trade agreements are scapegoated.

Location: 378
This movement called itself National Socialism. It freely expressed what Heinrich Wels had long secretly felt, namely that the Jewish firms with their cut-price methods were responsible for Germany’s decline. It was true that people still preferred to buy cheaper tables, but at least they abused the Oppermanns.

2. Who profits when minorities are slandered?

Location: 385
Chicanery from official quarters increased under pressure from the growing National Socialist party. Heinrich Wels profited.

3. Is he talking about Poland here? Excerpt from Wikipedia:

On August 31, the day before the German invasion of Poland that began World War II, the Germans began mass arrests of prominent Poles in the city. Among the arrested Poles were activists, entrepreneurs, journalists, editors, scout leaders, the director of the local Polish bank and the director of the local Polish library. The Nowiny Codzienne newspaper was closed down on September 1, and its editorial team, including editor-in-chief Jan Łangowski, was deported to concentration camps. In September 1939, local Polish organizations were closed down by the German police and Gestapo, and the assets of the local Polish bank were confiscated. On September 13 and October 4, 1939, arrested Poles were deported from the city to concentration camps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole

Location: 566
“Grosnowice changed masters seventeen times. Seven times the changes brought pogroms with them.

I am formulating the discussion topics here. This is still WIP (work in progress)

4.

Who is the group that is trying to harm the public schools?

Governor has signed the bill

Since it passed, DeSantis has repeatedly mischaracterized what the bill does. He’s said the bill will stop young students from being “sexualized” in the classroom. Amendments offered by Democratic and Republican lawmakers to broaden the bill to include a prohibition on teaching young kids about all kinds of human sexuality — not just topics that appear to relate to LGBTQ Floridians — were roundly rejected by GOP lawmakers.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/03/28/desantis-signs-so-called-dont-say-gay-bill/

Excerpt from an Integrity Florida Report:

Some charter and school choice advocates are clear about their goal. The ultimate hope of many, as Milton Friedman wrote (see Page 8), is to bring about a transfer from government to private enterprise, in part by “enabling a private, for-profit industry to develop” in​ education.

https://www.integrityflorida.org/2018/09/17/the-hidden-cost-of-charter-school-choice/

This excerpt from that 2018 Integrity Florida Report caught my eye because the Florida legislature just passed SB 758 which will establish a statewide charter school authorizer:

“The Florida Supreme Court removed from the November 2018 ballot a constitutional amendment that would have established a statewide charter school authorizer. Approval of that amendment would have added momentum for further charter school growth.​”

A March 21st letter to the TU mischaracterized HB 1557. If HB 1557 was really about banning discussion of sexual activity in grades K-3, then Senator Baxley would have changed his bill to include Senator Brandes’ amendment (which replaces the “don’t say gay” language with “don’t discuss sexual activity”). 

This is a great video that explains Brandes’ amendment that Baxley refused to include in his bill: 

You can listen to Senator Baxley’s words on the senate floor as well as in the committee meetings defending his bill. He clearly didn’t write the bill. Some group wrote it and got him to sponsor it. From his own words, it appears he agreed to sponsor it because he thinks it’s not OK to be gay. Of course, that’s incredibly sad. I find it comparable to saying “it’s not OK to be black or disabled or anything that’s different from me.“

I posit that the real goal of HB 1557 (by the people who actually wrote the bill) is to harm the district-run schools because the bill doesn’t apply to charter or voucher funded private schools. Please take a look at the bill analysis (ref 9). The real goal of the bill is to harm the neighborhood and magnet schools by allowing parents to bring frivolous lawsuits based on the vague wording in the bill or at least that’s how it appears to me. A recent article in the New York Times (ref 10) clearly explained how the bill is vague and could lead to frivolous lawsuits.

If the bill was truly about the health and safety of the students, then it would apply to all publicly funded schools. Charter schools and voucher funded private schools are required to comply with health and safety laws.

I offer as support for my suggestion the wording in HB -1B signed by the Governor late in 2021 specifically exempting charter and voucher funded private schools. The real purpose (of HB-1B) is to allow Education Commissioner Corcoran to financially harm the district-run schools that followed CDC guidelines. Corcoran didn’t want to financially harm the charter or voucher funded private schools that also disobeyed Dr. Ladapo’s rule by following CDC guidelines. That’s how it seems to me.  IF it was really about the health of the students, wouldn’t it apply to ALL publicly funded schools?

HB 1557 as well as HB-1B are attempts at financially harming the schools run by the locally elected school boards rather than an actual health concern. They appear part of the movement to privatize our public school system. We must vote out these legislators who are trying to harm our neighborhood and magnet schools in their efforts to privatize public education.

References:

  1. March 21st letter to the editor that I mentioned in the first paragraph.
    https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/03/21/letters-elementary-classrooms-not-place-sexual-subjects/7066651001/
  2. At minute 31 in the Appropriations committee meeting, Senator Gibson asked if HB 1557 (the Don’t Say Gay bill) covered charter schools. The bill sponsor, Senator Baxley, said he didn’t know and went to ask the staff. He came back and said it only applies to the traditional public schools. Senator Stargel, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, said Baxley was wrong–she said his bill covered the traditional and charter schools. I followed up with Senator Stargel asking her under what statute HB 1557 will apply to charter schools. She hasn’t replied to my email. The main Florida statute governing charter schools is f.s. 1002.33. It specifically says charter schools are exempt from statute chapters 1000-1013 (except a few covering such things as health, safety, and testing). During the public comment period of the committee meeting around the one hour and 36 minute mark, Senator Stargel again insisted the bill applied to the charter schools, but seemed to indicate it didn’t apply to voucher funded private schools. The bill’s language specifically mentions district schools (but not charter schools) so how does it apply to charter schools?  And if it does apply to charter schools because of its supposed health aspect, then it would also apply to voucher funded private schools according to f.s. 1002.421
    Link to the video of the committee meeting that I mentioned:
https://www.flsenate.gov/media/videoplayer?EventID=1_zc8d1g0v-202202281030&Redirect=true

3.  F.S. 1002.421 reads in part as follows:
A private school participating in an educational scholarship program established pursuant to this chapter must
(g) Meet applicable state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes, and rules …

4.  HB 1557 references f.s. 1002.20 which uses the vague term public school and says:
 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public school students must receive accurate and timely information regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory rights including, but not limited to, the following … 

5.  But notice that f.s. 1002.33 says 1002.20 doesn’t apply to charter schools.
F.S. 1002.33 reads in part:
(a) A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and shall be exempt from all statutes in chapters 1000-1013. However, a charter school shall be in compliance with the following statutes in chapters 1000-1013 ….   Those statutes pertaining to student health, safety, and welfare.

6. HB 1557 enrolled version:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/BillText/er/PDF

7.  Charter schools and voucher funded private schools are supposed to comply with health and safety laws BUT the wording in HB -1B signed by the Governor late in 2021 specifically exempted charter and voucher funded private schools. The bill reads in part:
A district school board, a district school superintendent, an elected or appointed local official, or any district school board employee may not…

8.  F.S. 1014.04 appears to apply to all schools, not just publicly funded schools. I hope a journalist will do a deep dive on what “public school means” and which bills apply to ALL schools whether they are publicly funded or not.
1014.04 Parental rights.—
All parental rights are reserved to the parent of a minor child in this state without obstruction or interference from the state, any of its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, or any other institution, including, but not limited to, all of the following rights of a parent of a minor child in this state …

9.  Excerpt from the bill analysis for HB 1557 which does NOT say charter and voucher funded private schools BUT only district schools:
Bring an action against the school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that the school district procedure or practice violates the provision in the bill and seek injunctive relief. A court may award damages and must award reasonable attorney fees and court costs to a parent who receives declaratory or injunctive relief.

10. This article examines Florida’s HB 1557 and explains why it is vague and can lead to frivolous lawsuits:

What is a public school?

Please urge your state representative to ask that the staff analysis indicate which schools must comply with the various bills. We now have 3 categories of publicly funded schools:

  • Schools run the locally elected school board
  • Charter schools
  • Voucher funded private schools

Charter schools and voucher funded private schools are supposed to comply with health and safety laws BUT the wording in HB -1B signed by the Governor late in 2021 specifically exempted charter and voucher funded private schools. The bill reads in part:

A district school board, a district school superintendent, an elected or appointed local official, or any district school board employee may not…    

Did representatives who voted yes on the bill give a rationale that explained why this particular health rule wouldn’t apply to all publicly funded schools? Was it because Education Commissioner Corcoran wanted to go after the district-run schools that followed CDC guidelines but didn’t want to go after charter or voucher funded private schools that also disobeyed Dr. Ladapo’s rule? In other words, was the bill an attempt to hurt the district run schools rather than an actual health concern?

F.S. 1002.20 discusses parental rights and (3) is specific to health issues but notice how (n) singles out the district-run schools.

1002.20 (3) (n) reads in part:

 1. A district school board, a district school superintendent, an elected or appointed local official, or any district school board employee may not:

F.S. 1002.33 reads in part:
16) (a) A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and shall be exempt from all statutes in chapters 1000-1013. However, a charter school shall be in compliance with the following statutes in chapters 1000-1013:

1. Those statutes specifically applying to charter schools, including this section.

2. Those statutes pertaining to the student assessment program and school grading system.[but voucher funded private schools don’t, correct?]

3. Those statutes pertaining to the provision of services to students with disabilities.

4. Those statutes pertaining to civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to discrimination.

5. Those statutes pertaining to student health, safety, and welfare.

F.S. 1002.421 reads in part as follows:

A private school participating in an educational scholarship program established pursuant to this chapter must
(a) Comply with the antidiscrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. s. 2000d. [it doesn’t say f.s. 1000.05]

(g) Meet applicable state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes, and rules …

Charter and voucher funded private schools do not have to follow the rules of f.s. 1003.42 unless stipulated elsewhere. That statute specifically says it only applies to the district run schools:
F.S. 1003.42 reads in part:

(1)(a) Each district school board shall provide all courses required …

   (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education and the district school board,

Are charter schools and voucher funded private schools part of “public education” mentioned in Florida’s Constitution Article IX? In other words, does “free public schools” mean “publicly funded schools”? 

ARTICLE IX of Florida’s Constitution

SECTION 1. Public education.—(a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education  … 

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=3#A9S01

HB 395/ SB 268

HB 395/ SB 268 is another one of those bills that aims to distort history in pursuit of a particular (possibly harmful) ideology.

HB 395 is getting its first reading in the House on February 22nd.
Its companion bill SB 268 has one more committee to go: Senate Appropriations

Here is a rough draft of talking points:

  • The countries mentioned in the bill are totalitarian centralized command post countries that do not embrace democracy. Democracy embraces the concept of letting all voices be heard. It is telling that similar fascist countries are left off the list in the bill. This bill could be amended to something I might actually support.
  • By using words such as marxist and communist, it moves the narrative away from the true dangers facing our country by distorting historical facts. The true dangers facing our country are the attempts at silencing the voice of the people by voter suppression laws and attacks on teaching the facts of history in our public schools.
  • One of the ideologies that helps make our country great is that cities and businesses can experiment with what works as compared to a centralized command post that controls all production.
  • Instead of what this bill suggests, curricula could be suggested to point out how our Constitution helps prevent violent revolutions. The course might include the history of violent revolutions that might have been prevented if the voice of the people had been considered in the running of the government. The course work might include the value of hearing all voices compared to totalitarian/authoritarian regimes. The course work might include a discussion of the First Amendment which protects free speech, the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
  • Certainly the confiscation of private property and Fidel’s brutality has left many Cuban immigrants and humanitarians angry.
  • Problems with the bill: It could be argued that the economic hardships in Cuba since the revolution were caused by the US embargo and not by the form of government practiced in Cuba. Also the bill downplays what led to the Cuban revolution:
  • Corruption had been an issue in Cuba since the establishment of the Republic of Cuba in 1902. Politics and power were seen as means for the elites to further enrich themselves and accumulate personal wealth whilst in office. Worsened by nepotism, people grew to accept and work within the system, acknowledging they needed bribes in order to achieve certain ends. Batista seized power by violence which undermined the notions of democracy.

Should tolerance be taught in all publicly funded schools?

What is the difference between a public school and a publicly funded school?

The legislature needs to always specify which of the publicly funded schools a bill applies to.  Bills should no longer just indicate “public schools.”   There are now three types of publicly funded schools: district-run, charter, and voucher funded private schools.

If the bill doesn’t apply to all publicly funded schools, then the bill sponsor needs to be clear why not.  In other words, why does the bill sponsor want to burden the district-run schools with the requirement but not the other publicly funded schools? The district-run schools are the only ones run by locally elected constitutional officers.

Taxpayers want their tax dollars protected. The legislature shouldn’t create rules and punishments for district run schools that don’t apply to all publicly funded schools. Please add an amendment to these bills so that the courses being required apply to all publicly funded schools:

  • HB 281
  • HB 361
  • SB 480
  • SB 490

In 1994 when the state legislature began requiring  public schools to teach the Holocaust, “public schools” meant the neighborhood and magnet schools.  It is important that charter schools and voucher funded private schools teach the Holocaust and African American studies in the same way district run schools are required to teach it. Florida bill HB 51 will require the courses be taught in all publicly funded schools as it should be. It is vital that the Holocaust be taught in all publicly funded schools as first required by Florida statute beginning in 1994:

to be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions  

https://www.holocaustresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FL-HolocaustMandate.pdf

The teaching of the Holocaust in a way that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions should be taught in ALL publicly funded schools. 

Please urge your state representative to co-sponsor this important bill HB 51.