Who Will Be Marion County’s Next Superintendent?
We’re teaming up with the Education Task Force to co-sponsor a community town hall with candidates for Marion County Superintendent next Monday, May 21st from 6:30-8:00pm. The event will be held at the Ocala First United Methodist Church’s Family Life Center.
Click here to RSVP for this important event.
From our email this morning:
From ongoing budget challenges to keeping up with state and federal mandates to being able to work with our school board while ensuring our children receive the best education possible will face Marion County’s next superintendent of schools.
Our community is going to make an important decision in November, so please be sure to attend next Monday. In addition, each candidate was sent a questionnaire and we are planning on posting those responses online in the near future. Stay tuned!
Video: Opposition To Parent Trigger Bill Grows
Florida parents, along with a bipartisan group of state senators, hosted a press conference in Tallahassee voicing their opposition to the so-called “Parent Trigger” bill that would allow charter school management companies to take over community public schools.
Here’s video from today’s press conference:
and here’s Part 2:
A Victory For Our Special Needs Students
A big thank you to all who wrote in to the Florida Board of Education since last Friday, when we told you about a proposed rule that would grade Special Needs schools the same as regular public schools. Almost 150 of you sent a grand total of more than 1,100 emails to the Board, and it made a big difference.
From our email which we sent out today:
As a direct result of the public outcry on behalf of our Special Needs students from across the state, Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson eliminated the key rule change we opposed – grading Special Education Center Schools, such as Hillcrest School in Ocala.
Board vice chairman Roberto Martinez said he wants the state to move more slowly, particularly when dealing with students with disabilities. He has called for a month to look for solutions that are “more friendly” to students and families. Will this mark the beginning of a more reasonable approach towards measuring the progress of our students with Special Needs in Florida? We certainly hope so and we’ll be watching as we celebrate this victory for our Special Needs students.
As always, there’s more work to do and much to keep an eye on. Nonetheless, thanks to all of you who took action and stopped this particularly harmful rule!
Give Special Needs Students an “F” Grade? Take Action!
The Florida Board of Education is proposing a new rule that would grade Exceptional Student (ESE) and English Language Learner (ELL) students the same as other public school students. Common sense would say that’s an unreasonable and unfair rule to impose. Marions United for Public Education has signed on to a joint statement with Fund Education Now, the Florida PTA, and other local pro-public education groups to oppose this new rule change. From our release:
It is unfair and unreasonable for the FL DOE to demand that ESE and ELL students make identical progress on standardized tests as others not facing the same challenges. Current research shows ELL students require much longer than a year to be proficient in Reading. This new rule simply sets these students up for failure.
We urge the Board of Education to adopt a more reasonable plan that serves the best interests of all children.
We strongly encourage you to take action on this issue as the Board of Education will be voting on this new rule Tuesday, February 28th. Click here to write a letter to the Board and urge them to reject this rule.
Opposing The Parent Trigger Bill
Today we’re joining with Fund Education Now, the Florida PTA, and other pro-public education groups in opposing the misleading “Parent Empowerment Act” in the Legislature. The bill is a sneaky attempt to divide parents and undermine our public education system with an extreme drive toward unaccountable privatization of local schools.
Here’s the press release sent out this morning.
A broad alliance of Florida education advocacy groups including: Citizens for Strong Schools, 50th No More, Florida PTA, Fund Education Now, Marions United for Public Education, Save Duval Schools and Support Dade Schools announced in a joint statement today that they do not support the so-called “Parent Empowerment Act” HB 1191 by Michael Billeca – R/Miami Vice Chair K-20 Competitiveness Subcommittee.
“We want to be crystal clear. Our parent-driven alliance of education advocates does not support HB 1191, the so-called “Parent Empowerment Act.” by Representative Billeca. Reporters have been told by unauthorized sources that we support this scheme. We do not. Everything about HB 1191, including its misleading name, ”Parent Empowerment,” plays to a parent’s instinct to find something better for their child, especially when the school in question is struggling.
The “Parent Trigger” is a common ploy that has been attempted around the country. This legislation cynically uses parents and their love for their children as a tool to pull the “trigger” and hand their neighborhood school over to a private entity with no true guarantee of gaining anything better for the children. The net result is that schools are taken away from the jurisdiction of duly elected district officials and the physical property of the school is seized and handed over to a for-profit management company.
HB 1191 makes no provision for returning the school to the district, so the company essentially acquires an asset bought and paid for by taxpayers. The Florida taxpayer is robbed of a significant capital investment and the newly converted charter, which promised to “Empower Parents” answers to no elected official and often has a board that resides in another state and in some cases, another country. Much evidence exists that once the conversion takes place, these “Empowered Parents” might find that their child’s test scores don’t measure up. The “underperforming” child is “pushed out” and not even allowed to attend the school.
For these reasons, despite the name “Parent Empowerment,” HB 1191 does not earn our support.”
HB 1191 Facts:
- Allows the vote of 51% of the parents in “certain underperforming schools” to “trigger” or pave the way for the parents to request one of the state’s approved school improvement options. Underperforming is a wide definition that was broadened to include D schools as well as F schools and various percentages of performance scores within subjects.
- Allows minor students and parents to comprise the 51% in middle and high schools
- Allows parents who have no legal ability to negotiate the contract or details with the new management company to designate the option completely eliminating the districts voice
- Requires that all parents be notified of the option to attend virtual school
Stay Educated About Education
There’s a lot happening in public education right now. How do you stay on top of it all, and most importantly, find the stories that matter? We’re pleased to announce our new EdClips service to provide you with education news that matters to Marion County teachers, support personnel, parents, and all public education supporters.
Click here to sign up for free EdClips service.
Every second and fourth Thursday of the month, we’ll send you an email with several key education-related news stories that matter to you. We’ll keep you informed about the latest and most important news happening in public education, from the Marion County School Board, to the Florida Legislature, and to Congress. Here’s a sample of what you would see in your inbox:
Thanks for all you’re doing to stand up for our children and our future.
Speaking Out On Unfunded (And Unrealistic) Mandates
Marions United Vice-President Nancy Thrower has a problem with politicians in Tallahassee and Washington imposing unfunded and sometimes unrealistic mandates with no funding to implement them. This has been a long-running problem for public education, magnified significantly over the last decade by growing anti-public school sentiment among politicians in both capitals. Here’s an excerpt from Nancy’s op-ed in this morning’s Star-Banner:
Top-down policies and unfunded mandates from state and federal legislatures are not working. Local school boards and district staff are being forced to waste tremendous amounts of time trying to figure out how to keep the lights on five days a week.
Imagine how much more productive it could be if schools were free to focus on Job One — educating and then graduating functional contributing residents?
Be sure to read the rest.
The Vital Importance of Pre-K
On June 5th, Children’s Movement founder (and former Miami Herald publisher) David Lawrence, Jr. wrote the Star-Banner with a compelling argument for restoring funding to another neglected program in Florida’s education community – Pre-K.
Marions United’s Secretary Lorraine Fuller has a unique perspective on Florida’s Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) program. In addition to serving as a teacher in the Pre-K program over the summer, she teaches Kindergarten at Wyomina Park Elementary the rest of the year. She sees the children when they go into the program and then some of them when they enter our K-12 public school system. Lorraine wrote to the Star-Banner and her letter appeared this morning. Here’s what she had to say:
Thank you to David Lawrence Jr.’s article (“Restore state Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten funding,” June 5) addressing cuts for funding to Florida’s VPK program.
For the past five years, I have seen the benefits of the VPK program, both as a teacher of the VPK program and as a kindergarten teacher welcoming graduates of the program into my classroom each August. VPK prepares children by teaching them the readiness skills they need to be successful in kindergarten. It is a well-rounded program filled with literacy, hands-on math, science and social skills geared to prepare children for kindergarten.
There are high expectations in kindergarten. Five-year-olds are expected to read, write sentences and understand many math and science concepts by the end of their first year of school. When children begin kindergarten without the readiness skills they need, they quickly fall behind their peers.
As a community, state and country, it is our job to ensure our youngest students are ready to be successful in school. Programs such as Florida’s VPK help prevent students from falling behind before they even get started. Doesn’t it make more sense to use our dollars toward intervention instead of remediation?
Let us work toward narrowing the gap in education instead of watching it grow. Let us give our children the confidence and readiness skills to make a smooth transition into their learning in kindergarten.
I urge our governor and legislators to properly fund the VPK program and to be proactive in funding the education of our future leaders.
Like our K-12 public education system (and our higher education system as well), leaving our state’s VPK program without the funding it needs while preserving large sales tax exemptions and corporate tax breaks is wrong for our children, our community, and our state.
Scott Education Budget Hurts Marion County Children
We just sent out a press release this morning with our reaction to Gov. Scott’s proposed $3 billion in education funding cuts. We don’t believe that cutting such a large amount of funding out of our public schools at a time when they can least afford it is what’s in the best interest for Marion County children:
OCALA – Yesterday, Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his $66 billion dollar budget for Florida. Included in the Governor’s proposal is a $3.3 billion cut in public education, a cut of $703 per student1. Nancy Noonan, President of Marions United for Public Education, released the following statement today reacting to Gov. Scott’s budget:
“Gov. Scott believes that the best way to balance Florida’s budget is on the backs of Marion County’s teachers, parents, and students. This is unacceptable to the coalition of citizens that make up Marions United for Public Education. Public education is more than a set of numbers on a balance sheet – it’s a fundamental social contract between Floridians and their government to ensure that democracy is reborn every generation. Gov. Scott is violating this contract with such draconian cuts at a time when Florida’s teachers, parents, and students simply can’t afford it.
“Marions United for Public Education renews its call for a fiscally responsible way of balancing Florida’s budget, and investing in Florida and Marion County’s public schools – our future. Florida gives up $12 billion annually in sales tax exemptions and corporate income tax loopholes2. It is reprehensible for Gov. Scott and the Florida legislature to consider cutting a penny from public education or consider laying off a single classroom teacher at a time when things like stadium skyboxes, yachts, and ostrich feed are sales tax exempt. It is long past time to close down these special-interest created loopholes, stop cuts to Marion County schools, and invest in our children’s future.
“In the coming weeks and months, Marions United for Public Education will work with our citizen coalition to educate Marion County’s legislators on these fiscal realities and fight for Marion County’s public schools and our children’s future.”
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1“Highlights of Gov. Scott’s $65 billion proposed budget.” St. Petersburg Times. 2/7/11.
2“Florida’s Fiscal Crisis: The Prescription.” The Florida Center For Fiscal and Economic Policy.
March With Us On MLK Day
Join us Monday, January 17th at 8:30am in downtown Ocala and join our parade marching group. Park at MLK Park (click here for a map) on Silver Springs Boulevard and take the shuttle to downtown Ocala. Marions United is spot #17 in the parade line. You can RSVP on Facebook here. If you’re not on Facebook, you can RSVP here.
As public education advocates, we celebrate both Dr. King and the citizen-led civil rights movement that made him such a powerful figure in the history of our country. The first major act of the civil rights movement was not a push for voting rights or economic freedoms. It actually began with the concerns of thirteen parents for their twenty children in Topeka, Kansas. Led by Oliver Brown, together they sued the local school district over their segregated school system. In 1954, the US Supreme Court unanimously sided with Brown in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, and began the long and difficult process of desegregating America’s public schools. The result of this struggle was dramatically expanded opportunities for all of America’s children.
The ensuing nationwide debate about what it truly meant to be an American citizen produced fresh battles against other forms of segregation. In 1957, a young, 26-year old pastor new to town was picked to lead a coalition of churches and lead a dramatic citywide bus boycott. Dr. King would go on to support critical fights in the civil rights movement leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Let’s honor Dr. King’s legacy together. Join us Monday, January 17th at 8:30am in downtown Ocala and march with us in the MLK Day parade.
