The conservative legislative war on Florida public education
The Florida Constitution requires adequate funding for public education.
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Florida ranks as the nation’s fourth wealthiest state, yet it ranks 43rd of 50 states in public school funding. Despite that grim ranking, charter schools, home schooling and vouchers continue to drain critical resources.
Courts have ruled against charter schools and vouchers. Yet charter schools flourish across Florida and voucher advocates hope to expand.
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Florida public schools face a triple threat: charter school growth; voucher expansion; and draconian measures punishing teachers, administrators, and schools.
The growth of home-schooling also hurts our public schools. These initiatives weaken the secular nature of education and move tax dollars directly or indirectly from traditional public education.
Experienced teachers are demoralized, many taking early retirement. They complain of endless meetings, poorly designed evaluations and standardized-test results that unfairly penalize many teachers. Schools that need more money are getting less money. Administrators are being targeted by people who have a political agenda designed to make public schools fail.
Charter schools have cost Florida taxpayers more than $1.5 billion. Legislators are eager to expand charter schools during the session. Many charter schools have closed or have questionable relationships with their administrators, churches, and legislators. Public officials have little power to hold charter schools accountable for their spending and the quality of the education they provide.
The voucher program, also known as the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program, offers a dollar-for-dollar corporate tax credit to businesses that help fund its scholarships. The program is predicted to cost taxpayers $1 billion over the next five years.
About 80 percent of schools that have students attending with voucher aid are linked to religious institutions.
The Florida for-profit school industry flooded legislative candidates with $1.8 million in donations last year. “Most of the money,” reports The Miami Herald, “went to Republicans, whose support of charter schools, vouchers, online education and private colleges has put public education dollars in private-sector pockets.”
The lines are blurred relating to what is a non-profit charter school or a for-profit educational institution. However identified, they are claiming Florida tax dollars.
Public education loses money when students are taught at home, but there are other issues to consider. A student who is home-schooled may be spending much of his or her school day learning religious ideology or topics that the parent considers important.
Attending a public school provides a child with a wide variety of subjects, school activities and socialization. The home-schooled child may feel awkward when returning to public school, going off to college, or at the workplace.
Public school advocates and voters who support secular public school education must take heed and confront the religious-conservative war on public schools. The alternative is significant tax dollars finding their way to religion-based institutions, privatized education, and further compromised public schools.
Dr. Marc Yacht is a semi-retired physician living in Hudson, Florida. This column is courtesy of Context Florida
Retired Director, Pasco County Health Department (2007)
Former Editor in Chief, Florida Medical Association Magazine
Former President, Florida Association of County Health Officials
Former President, Florida Public Health Association
Former President, Public Health Specialty Group, Florida Medical Association
Former President, Pasco County Medical Society
Former Senior Editor, Florida Journal of Public Health (Print edition)
