FL-Senate 2010 candidate Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach) has grabbed the attention and imagination of Florida Teachers. An ardent supporter of education, Gelber has worked arduously to defend students and schools against draconian measures instituted by Florida's Republican legislature. Taking decisive action to fight back, Gelber has invited Florida Teachers to post real world storiesabout how the GOP's budget cuts have impacted their schools, their classrooms, and their students. Posting updates from the current Tallahassee session on his Twitter Page, Gelber continues to stand up for teachers.
As Dan Gelber says, "You pay for a cheap education forever."
Everyone knows that the Republican Party's Education Platformseeks to cannabalize already limited Public School Resources. As the Florida Senate 2010 race heats up, teachers will look for candidateswho have a long track record of supporting schools. Teachers need something other than the worn out lines about failing schools and vouchers and test scores.
Dan Gelber is that candidate. He was awarded the 2008 FEA Friend of Florida Teachers Award. He has proposed and fought for changes to the tax system that would increase state revenues for schools. On Wednesday March 18, 2009 Gelber spoke to a crowd of over 2,400that had gathered in Tallahassee to protest deep cuts to Florida's Education Budget:
In a recent blog Gelber outlined the upcoming impacts to the Education Budget:
When the legislature and the Governor pushed through some purported property tax relief plans 24 months ago, Floridians were promised education would be held harmless. We were even given some proposed education budgets that showed increases in education funding...
In the 2007-08 budget, the legislature and Governor decided that in order to fund education in Florida we would need to spend $7300 per student (By the way, the national average that year was over $9500). After passage the legislature cut the education budget such that at year’s end it was just over $7100 per student. In the next budget, which is our current budget, we started at around $7000 per student but are ending the year closer to $6700 with more cuts possible.
So as we put together the next budget some will argue all we have to do is continue the current cut budget and all will be fine and education will be held "harmless."
Gelber has long been a champion for stressing something other than standardized test scores. In this clip from the Florida House Floor we hear Gelber point out, "The FCAT isn't a solution. It's a test!"
In another blog entitled "Celebrating mediocrity in Florida's public schools" Gelber critiques Bush-Era Republicans' uber-emphasis on standardized testing, pointing out:
People need to pause for a moment and remember just what the school grades reflect. Florida's school grades are premised solely on how well students reach minimal competence (grade level) in three subjects. Nothing else. Let me repeat, school grades only reflect minimal competence in a few subjects. They don't calculate whether kids are high-achieving. They don't incorporate whether children are availing themselves of gifted programs, how they perform in history or civics, whether they are taking higher level math or science, or what foreign language courses are available. No where in the school grade is the graduation rate of a high school calculated or the retention rate of kids in lower grades. Not one elementary school grade included whether the school has an art or music program, or whether they are using enrichment programs. In short, most of the things parents care most about are not calculated anywhere in the school grade. Just minimal competence.
Now if you were shopping for a school would you ask the principal "how many kids in your school have reached minimal competence?" Or would you more likely ask "How big are the classes?" or "Tell me about your special programs?" or "How many of your kids graduate and are placed in college?"
The folly of the school grading system is that it is indexed to only minimal competence and, therefore, declares success upon reaching an absurdly low water mark. The real problem is that because school grades have become so important, all the other things that matter are wholly ignored. Florida schools have made the steadfast pursuit of mediocrity their singular goal, sadly at the expense of true achievement.
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DAN GELBER WANTS YOU TO GET INVOLVED
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Dan Gelber has given Florida Teachers, Students and Parents a voice. Geleber has opened a portal on his website that allows concerned citizens to "post stories about how school budget cuts are impacting public education in Florida." This page already includes dozens of personal accounts of what cutting Education does to kids.
Dan Gelber stands to become Florida's Greatest Senator. He views the role of government as SERVICE. He possesses the EXPERIENCE to lead us through these troubled times. He has the VISION to move us forward towards a better future.
Dan Gelber embodies the ideals of President Obama. He has created avenues for citizens to fully participate in the political process. I encourage everyone to visit the link below. Share your story. Get involved! Help us show Tallahassee and Washington DC how important Education is to our Future, our Families, our Cities, our State, and our Nation. Stand up and support Dan Gelber. Stand up and become the voice of our Teachers and our Schools and our Students! Stand up and be heard!
POST YOUR BUDGET CUT STORY BY CLICKING HERE!
Also, please join Florida Teachers For Dan Gelber on Facebook!