Showing posts with label Florida Parent Trigger Legislation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida Parent Trigger Legislation. Show all posts

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Local Views: Joe McColloch

Attack on public education
The narrow failure of the "parent trigger" bill in the state Senate should put all concerned parents and taxpayers in Florida on notice that the Republican ideologues who dominate the Legislature will stop at nothing to dismantle our system of public education and hand it over to special interests, most of whom help to bankroll these same legislative lackeys as well as their GOP apparatus.
With virtually no public support whatsoever, the House GOP fell all over themselves to embrace this blatant theft of taxpayer-funded assets while employing shamelessly fraudulent means — including a joke of a petition containing a mere handful of signatures, many of which were apparently bogus — to make their case that there was any public support for this hijack of our public education system. Only the courage of a few Republicans in the Senate kept this idiotic and dishonest effort from happening.
The shameful legacy of Jeb Bush, with his grandiose schemes to privatize as many of our state governmental functions as possible — and education most particularly — continues to afflict Florida and its taxpayers, much to our collective detriment.
Tampa Bay Times Letters to the Editor: Joe McColloch, Tampa
Locals who voted yes. John Legg, R-Trinity; Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg;
Tom Lee, R-Brandon; Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

'Parent Trigger' Bill Dies On Tie Vote

The chief advocate, former Gov. Jeb Bush, told reporters as late as February that he was confident the trigger would become law.
 Even though the bill was not the supported by the Florida Education Association and most Florida parent organizations, such as the Florida PTA. These bay area men still voted for it. Please remember them next time you go to the polls.
John Legg, R-Trinity; Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg; Tom Lee, R-Brandon;
Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Culture Of Corruption: Michelle Rhee

Very iffy Parent Trigger petition in Florida
Florida Republican legislator Kelli Stargel had a lot of trust in Michelle Rhee and her Students First group when she announced their petition in committee debate. She said she had 1200 signatures in support of a Parent Trigger law in Florida. As Kelli Stargel take to the Senate floor today to defend her Parent Trigger bill, she will be wondering whether or not it was a good idea to get involved with Michelle Rhee.
more
Rhee submits Parent Trigger petition with names who did not sign it?
more

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Shameless Parent Revolution

For weeks, it seemed, few parents in Florida supported the so-called parent trigger bill. And then, a video began circulating in the Capitol. The video, featuring South Florida moms praising the legislation, was attributed to a mysterious grass roots group known as the Sunshine Parents. But it was actually produced by Parent Revolution, the California-based advocacy group that has been using its considerable resources and political heft to promote the legislation nationwide. Parent trigger (SB 862) hits the Senate floor Monday. The House version (HB 867) has already passed.
more
Opponents say it would give for-profit education companies the opportunity to take over vulnerable schools. They point to California, where efforts to pull the trigger have played out amid allegations of parent coercion and petitions with fraudulent signatures. In addition to Florida PTA, parent groups lined up against the bill include Fund Education Now, 50th No More and Parents Across America. The NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens oppose the legislation, too.
Are you on the list?
 Maria and Dan O'Hollearn, of Coral Gables, both said they didn't sign the petition, despite their names and addresses appearing on the petition. Carlos Herrera, a Florida International University student, said he, too, was surprised his name was on the list of supporters.
Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who has referenced the petition during debates, said she had no reason to doubt their legitimacy.
"We don't need groups from other states coming into Florida and causing trouble," said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, a staunch opponent of the bill. "This is proof."
Stop Parent Trigger Legislation
Sign the petition

Monday, April 8, 2013

They Say Tomato, I Say Morons

In case you aren't up to speed, the state House passed a bill on Thursday that allows parents to petition for a variety of overhauls if a local school is struggling. Yes, your state lawmakers are at it again. What's so bad about that, you ask? In theory, not a thing. Except every major parent group hates it. In California it has turned into an educational war zone. So if we can skip all of the minor details and skirmishes, the real issue is this legislation potentially allows public schools to be handed over to for-profit charter companies.
"I've never heard of making a profit being a bad thing, this is the United States of America.'' 
 Rep. George Moraitis R-Fort Lauderdale.
He's nailed his geography, but Moraitis might have an economics issue. Those profits he is so gleefully pushing toward out-of-state charter companies are supplied by your tax dollars. Tax dollars originally earmarked for your child's education, books, lunches and so on.
more

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Stop Parent Trigger Legislation in Florida

A quality public education is the foundation of a bright future -- for our children, our state and our nation. But in Florida, a bill entitled “Parent Empowerment” will do the exact opposite. This bill, also know as the Parent Trigger bill, will take away our rights as parents and concerned community members to have a say in our children's education, and will empower for-profit management corporations to put profits first. Sign the Petition 
here

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Stop Florida Parent Trigger Legislation

Florida's Culture Of Corruption Ccorporate Power Grab
To the dismay of parents, the Florida PTA, other parents groups and their supporters, the Parent Empowerment in Education Bill, a.k.a Florida’s “Parent Trigger” bill, has once again been introduced into the Florida House of Representatives and Senate. After failing last year due to the concerted efforts of parents and parent groups, legislators saw fit to reintroduce the bill once again to see if Florida parents and their supporters had changed their minds regarding this issue. Such insistence on a “parent trigger” bill in Florida can only be described in the manner that Diane Ravitch, the former Secretary of Education, describes “parent trigger” policy in general:
"It is the quintessence of a corporate power grab.”
Florida Legislators: I urge you to deny the passing of the Parent Empowerment in Education bill (HB 867 or SB 862) so that the public education system remains a corporation-free, public institution in the hands and power of the parents, educators, community groups, and taxpayers that support and nurture it.
Sign The Petition - Parents Across America
 Why would legislators reintroduce a bill that was vehemently opposed by
a significant number of parent groups?.....Florida PTA