The death of public education begins in Florida:
The so-called "teacher tenure" bill, which makes it easier to fire teachers and ties pay increases to student test scores, is so controversial it passed the Senate on Wednesday in a 21-17 vote. No Democrats voted in support of the measure.
School Reform Bill Advances
From Broward Superintendent Jim Notter: "This is just a bold attack that's going to be devastating to our schools."
He said he fears the legislation will make it more difficult to recruit teachers in areas where there is already a critical shortage, like high school math and science, even as lawmakers consider making high school graduation requirements more rigorous in those areas.
"You now say, `Come to Florida to teach -- and oh, by the way, you get a one-year contract,' " Notter said. "We don't recognize any [advanced] degrees. You're going to be rated on something we're not sure of yet."
Teachers will no longer receive compensation based, in part, on educational credentials:
Miami-Dade teachers' union president Karen Aronowitz:
"Senate Bill 6 says that teachers can have no payment based on credentials," Aronowitz said. "Graduate degrees, National Board Certification, the professional growth and development we do -- that is all completely obliterated by this bill."
She added: "How can you tell students that education has value when their teachers' education counts for nothing?"
There's more:
The maximum amount of money available for the state's tax scholarship program, where corporations are allowed to receive a tax credit if they make a donation to an approved voucher school, will grow from $118 million to $140 million.
Superintendent Notter's reaction:
"When there is no money, to continue to take money out of public education is clear insanity," he said. "It defies logic."
But wait, you say, this is Florida, a GOP-controlled state government. The Democrats are united in voting against it. True, true, but here's the shocker: every one of the changes in the current GOP education reform bill are included in President Obama's national educational reform bill blueprint as well - such as:
- Encouraging (and in some cases requiring) school districts to obliterate union bargaining contracts
- Encouraging school districts to no longer award teachers for advanced degrees earned
- Forcing districts to fire all administrators, teachers (regardless of subject matter taught) and other school personnel of the lowest-performing schools - not based upon their job performance/evaluations - but upon standardized tests given once per year in Math and Language Arts only. Other mandated options include switching the public school to a charter school or closing the school down entirely, leaving the community with no public school.
- Privatizing public education by increasing funds for charter schools and top-performing schools, while decreasing funds for students most at risk.
I never thought I would live to see the day a Democratic president would put forth public-education policies so contrary to Democratic principles, as demonstrated by the partisan vote in Florida.
Our public schools are one of the few remaining bastions of a free society in this age of ever-increasing corporatism. I am afraid for our country, children and grandchildren, as our public schools become more privatized and corporate controlled. Unfortunately, however, that is where we are heading on a national level. And soon, unless we make our voices heard.