Dr's In: Florida's public schools face grave threats

A judge’s ruling that threatens teacher tenure in California further undermines job security for teachers.  Public school teachers continue to feel the brunt of political opportunists, unfair evaluations, the conservative push to privatized education, inadequate classroom funding, and lack of wage increases.

It is ironic that the legislators responsible for undermining public schools are the first to criticize perceived failures.  Teachers are a soft target, much like the beleaguered HRS employees forever underfunded, overworked, and held accountable for the impossible.

The public enjoys and encourages the finger pointing.  After all, a mother whose child is underperforming is happy to see the blame shifted to the teacher.  Current rules make it difficult for public schools to deal with unruly students. Private schools can just throw them out.

I am convinced that Florida public schools may go the way of HRS without a strong political will to reverse a trend that sets them up for failure.

The local school board, staff, and administrators appear paralyzed to respond to this initiative.  Teachers can only hope that their concerns will be addressed.  I doubt if that will occur in their favor. Administrators will do what they always do, accept the policy that comes down without question.

The survival of Florida public schools rests in the hands of legislators. I see a full-court press against public schools rather than efforts to improve them.  Privatization of education is in Florida’s future. Public schools may well be a catchall for underachievers and problem children.

One has to ask, what does the community want?  What do parents want? After all, elected officials succeed by satisfying their constituents, or at least being perceived that way. Judging by the growth of homeschoolers, charter schools and voucher credits, one could surmise that there is a general feeling that an option to public schools has significant support.  Are the school boards, unions, teachers, and education officials accepting this truth as unavoidable?

Public schools have always represented this nation’s priority to educate its youth.  Perhaps that has resulted in a certain arrogance on the part of school officials that is now expressing itself in successful privatization efforts.  Parents may feel a certain disconnect from their child’s school. Current school efforts to reach out may be described as too little too late.

Discussions with parents are mixed.  Many show concerns for lost public school resources.  Others talk about wanting an option and being displeased with the public school environment.  Behavioral problems at school loom large in the mind of parents.  All want better accountability for alternate forms of education that accept tax dollars.

Perhaps charter schools and voucher credits can be viewed as a great experiment, a changing of the way things are done.

I would caution the public about buying into such a direction.  First, look at who is driving it.  Second, note who will benefit from it.  Follow the dollar.

My own positions remain unchanged.  Public schools must be adequately funded and protected. Charter schools need equal accountability to public schools.  That accountability must be enforced.  Voucher credits are wrong and essentially move tax dollars to religious institutions. The separation and church and state should be inviolate.

School grading and teacher accountability are about failure not improvement. Unless you incorporate a child’s home environment and intelligence into the evaluation mix, you cannot hold educators responsible for their progress.  No other country does this. In the current political environment, Florida’s public schools are at risk.

Dr. Marc Yacht, MD is semi-retired living in Hudson, Florida. Column is courtesy of Context Florida.