Parents, educators and supporters of public education will occupy the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., starting Friday to demand support for well-funded, high-quality public schools and an end to publicly funded private schools.
Despite the sound defeat of two ambitious, GOP-sponsored education bills during Florida’s 2012 legislative session, charter school lobbyists are vowing to be back next year.
The K-12 education Parent Empowerment in Education bill, also known as the “Parent Trigger” bill, is slated to go before the Florida Senate Thursday. The bill, which opponents have said is merely a push to privatize public schools, has already passed the House of Representatives.
A coalition of Florida teachers and PTA organizations are opposing a K-12 education bill filed by state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R- Fort Myers, and known as “Parent Empowerment in Education.”
The National Education Association, which represents 3 million teachers and education support professionals across the U.S., announced new initiatives on Thursday “to increase the quality of teacher candidates, make sure that teachers remain at the top of their game throughout their careers, and to improve student learning by helping educators become leaders in their schools.”
The Florida Chamber of Commerce today released its 2012 legislative agenda, which includes support for education changes that strengthen charter schools, expand the use of public funds for virtual/private schools and broaden the use of technology in the classroom.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appeared on Al Punto, a Spanish-language news program, on Sunday to promote his Foundation for Excellence in Education and his particular brand of education reform.
State Rep. Erik Fresen and state Sen. Don Gaetz (both Republicans) will speak at the National Summit on Education Reform next week in San Francisco. The summit — organized by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, founded and led by former Gov. Jeb Bush — “offers an opportunity for lawmakers and policymakers to learn the nuts and bolts of reform.”
The Broward County School Board on Wednesday selected former businessman Robert Runcie as Broward’s next school superintendent. The Broward school system ”is the sixth largest and the largest fully accredited K-12 and adult school system in the country” with “nearly 257,000 students, 230 traditional schools and centers, 68 charter schools and one virtual school that serves elementary, middle and high school students.”
Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, is demanding that the state Department of Education investigate the costs of the annual summit of Charter Schools USA, held in Orlando last week and attended by Gov. Rick Scott.
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