Sep
6
September 6, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
By Lindsey Burke
Americans expect choices and are, in general, savvy consumers. In turn, the U.S. market meets this expectation and supplies its citizens with an abundance of choice. Restaurants provide food selections from around the globe, the cereal isle at the grocery store has more options than a sugar-seeking child could ever hope for, and the TV provides over 100 channels from which to choose.
When it comes to education, Americans are also accustomed to a plethora of choices, at least during the back-to-school shopping seasons. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were over 24,000 family clothing stores, more than 26,000 shoe stores and in excess of 9,000 department stores in 2005.
Parents have enormous purchasing power when it concerns outfitting their children, updating their electronics and filling their backpacks with all of the necessary supplies for school. The National Retail Federation estimates that over $20 billion will be spent on back to school shopping this year, with the average family spending around $594.24. Imagine if parents had the same kind of purchasing power over the $519 billion that will be spent on public elementary and secondary schools during the 2008–09 academic year. With national per pupil expenditures exceeding $10,000 per year, parents should certainly have a say in how their money is being spent.
The best way to ensure parents have control over education spending is to provide them with the same ability to choose as they have in most other areas of their lives.
In theory, families are free to choose where their children go to school. While many parents select private schools for their children, other families cannot afford to make the same decision. In order to therefore ensure that their children are receiving a quality education, they must instead choose where they live. Many, however, do not have the luxury of such a selection either, meaning their children are often left in failing public schools.
What is the end result of this educational constraint? Millions of American children – often referred to as “our nation’s future” – are stuck in under-performing schools. These children are denied a decent education and are relegated to failing schools simply because of the zip codes in which they live. With an estimated 56 million students expected to enroll in the nation’s schools this fall—an all-time high—the plight of children not receiving a decent education cannot be ignored.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, the nation’s “report card,” shows how poorly American students are performing, highlighting the troubles within the public school system. Thirty-three percent of fourth graders scored “below basic” on reading, as did 26 percent of eighth-graders. National graduation rates have stagnated around 73 percent, with rates considerably lower among minority students. Only 59 percent of black students and 61 percent of Hispanic students graduated in 2006.
Parents have higher hopes than this for their children. The National Center for Education Statistics highlights parental aspirations in its 2007 National Household Education Survey. Less than 1 percent of parents said they do not expect their children to graduate, yet nearly 25 percent of students aren’t doing so. Forty percent of these parents expect their children to earn a four-year college degree (in reality, only 28 percent of people do), and 30 percent expect their children to earn a graduate or professional degree (only 9 percent do). Why isn’t reality matching with expectations?
In every aspect of our lives, we search for the best. Friends and co-workers consult one another for references to a good doctor, we compare how businesses perform in order to inform our choices, and we seek the advice of financial advisors before making investment decisions.
Parental choice works in much the same way, holding schools accountable for the results they produce. Although people of adequate means often have the luxury of paying for private school for their children—while simultaneously supporting children in the public school system through largely exorbitant property tax rates—low- and even middle-income families cannot always afford to do the same. Choice in education provides the opportunity for children from every economic and social background to have good academic opportunities.
With the school year quickly approaching, many families are being made plainly aware of the choices they don’t have. Parents should at a minimum have the same amount of choice in education as they do in shoe stores. After all, isn’t what children are putting in their heads more important than what they are putting on their feet?
Lindsey Burke is a Research Assistant in Domestic Policy at the Heritage Foundation.
Sep
5
Supreme? Court …says WHO?
September 5, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
This is what the politicians we elect do for us when our back is turned.
This is what the Supreme Court decides when our backs are turned.
It’s time to turn around. It’s time to FORCE these people to look us in the eye and explain themselves, and it’s time for YOU and ME to take back our government. It’s time for YOU and ME to say enough and let the politicians know that they are FIRED if they don’t start listening.
What’s next Virtual Education? Maybe. These people don’t want school choice. The TEACHER UNIONS don’t want school choice. We do. These are OUR children, not theirs. [Side note: Ask some of the politicians where they send their kids.} Do we count anymore?
Aug
5
Will Your Voice Be Heard This YEar?
August 5, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
We live in the greatest country on the planet. When it works (without influence) we have the best system of government
on the planet. Sometimes (usually with undue influence from a special interest) the government doesn’t work right, but it can be fixed. We have the right to rally and fix anything we disagree with. I only have to mention the amendment passed and repealed called “Prohibition“ to prove my point. Oppressive knee jerk reactive legislation once proven to be wrong can be repealed and the situation corrected under our unique system of government.I’m drawing this parallel to cause you to have heart and call you to action. As you know by now, the Florida State Legislature passed a bill substantially modifying our Virtual Schools. As you have found out we can’t enroll siblings this year, and next year when virtual education reverts to local district control, there will be no room for kindergarten enrollees and there may be other regulations the districts want to set, onerous or otherwise.
For all this time, we parents became complacent since everything was going “OK” and we lost the sense of urgency to let our voices be heard about how important the program is to us and how we did not want it changed. All we wanted was to expand the program and guarantee the annual funding, not how it ended up. I have a great respect for most politicians. What they do is hard to be sure. But some politicians in a hurry to please everyone and anxious to be reelected, will respond to the loudest repetitive voices and as proof, I call your attention to the entry on this Blog that follows this one.
This problem with understanding virtual schools and what the parents and families want is not unique to our state; the only thing unique is our tepid response as involved parents. This year (Apri1 15th) when we had our “Day at the Capital” over 200 people signed up and 30 showed up
. (I know how hard it is to make time in schedules and travel long distances for something when you try to balance that with home responsibility, so this is not a criticism.) The State politicians in control those that have say in what we do, look for numbers of people presenting a case. They look for a room full of people, not a space filled with empty chairs. They listen to the people vocalizing a cogent message with a strong voice and not backing down. They looked for us, and we weren’t there. This year a politician (my representative!) said to me, “Obviously what we did is OK, because there’s nobody really complaining except you.” Let me direct you to another Coalition of Virtual School Families who faced not only a situation like this, but also a Court Case SHUTTING DOWN THE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS in their state! Another attempt was made to cut funding, reduce enrollment, over regulate and still…. Through a completely STATEWIDE, GRASS ROOTS effort with hundreds, even thousands of parents, the rulings against were overturned, and now the schools are back, politicians are now listening to the loud parent and family voices, NOT the special interests. See examples of what I’m talking about at
http://www.wivirtualschoolfamilies.org/home/index.cfm?CFID=247291& and read what they did…what WE need to do!With 2000 families enrolled in K-8 virtual education, we need to have 2000 people enrolled in our coalition. With 4000 people on our waiting lists, we need to have 4000 more in our coalition. We need to watch and listen to the politicians that are running for office.
For open positions in the state House and state Senate start by sending emails and letters to the candidates and telling them about the program and its importance to us.
- Send letters
- Send emails
- Make phone calls
- Join the coalition
- Read the Blog and websites every week to watch for changes and calls to action
- Volunteer to be at events to show our strength.
If this program is important to you, you MUST talk about it, you must call about it, and you MUST help us this session as we try to undo and change what has already happened and make it more like or exactly like what we want. You must help us by telling your stories and talking about how your children have grown and flourished.
If you know other virtual school families not enrolled in the coalition, encourage them to join. WE CAN DO THIS.
If WISCONSIN can do this, FLORIDA SURELY CAN. If you have any ideas, or questions, or want to tell what it was that got you to the virtual academy or connections in the first place, contact me directly at
virtualeducation@tampabay.rr.com
.
Jun
23
They’re working hard, are WE?
June 23, 2008 | | 1 Comment
I was blessed recently to be able to attend a conference and workshop in Orlando about education and school choice where many, many good ideas were advanced and where I had a chance to meet some folks from all across the country. There are obstacles in place here of course, but every where else as well. It seems unlikely but it is true, that if you have a new idea about anything, a new process to streamline or make anything better, there is a large contingent of people who stand in your way for whatever reason, usually selfish.
It’s hard for someone like me who believes in the process to read about, or be involved in gridlock as new and positive ideas are advanced and then sometimes to have those ideas either shot down or worse yet watered down.
In one of the sessions I attended, I sat in front of two people, one self- identified as a lobbyist and the other a politician. The lobbyist was from Utah, the politician from a neighboring state. The politician asked the lobbyist about the recent referendum on school choice and vouchers. (Utah legislature passed a bill on school vouchers, mandating their implementation after a year.) A faction in Utah lobbied for the bill to be put on the ballot instead of just being made law, and the bill was ultimately defeated. The lobbyist said, (the quote of the conference)
“The teachers union, the feminists, and the superintendent’s groups are all organized and they’re out there beating he drum everyday. The parents and those directly affected by the bill only get up in arms every so often. Who do you think the courts and the media will listen to?”
As parents, can we afford not to stay informed and be engaged? Don’t we have to keep working and just as hard as THEY do?
May
9
The New Look(?) (For now) of Virtual Education K-8
May 9, 2008 | | 2 Comments
We got change. Oh boy, did we get change.Look at the change, and then decide how it affects you. It may have an effect on you, especially if you have younger children coming of school age, or it may affect you if you’re on the wait list for these various programs. It may never affect you if your time in the programs has ended, or you were never in it to begin with. Have no doubt though, the K-8 virtual bill that now awaits the governor’s signature and becomes effective July 1, 2008 will affect families with school age children.The major change in the landscape involves the provision that allows the school districts to either (a) set up their own K-8 Virtual programs, and administer them, or (b) contract with the existing K-8 Virtual Program providers to have them provide the K-8 programs. Again, either way, the existing programs are stillthere but are allowed no growth, no siblings or new enrolls, and the district programs will have to be either contracted or set up by the 09-10 school year. This next school year (08-09) will be status quo with an additional limbo dance thrown in for good measure.
Now, conventional wisdom calls for patience and to allow the districts the time to wrap their arms around this new provision in their plans and to wait and see what happens.
In an effort to represent the opposite advocate, some would ask, what happens with the year we lose by waiting? If the district provisions are more difficult, or restrictive, or some districts opt not to do the program at all, do we get that year back? Why must we cede our educational choices to the government YET AGAIN, as we may see a successful program changed or worse yet, eliminated as we know it?
In favor of conventional wisdom, some would say districts have handled education successfully for years and to this day graduate many successful children who become captains of industry and leaders of not only today but also tomorrow. Why can’t we see how they do with this, give them a chance, and trust? In some cases, there is a reason for not being able to trust.
I can’t speak to all districts, only for the one where we reside.
- Graduation rates for seniors are static or reduced slightly depending on the reports you read.
- At a budget workshop recently to deal with a projected shortfall (blamed on Tallahassee tax cutting) teachers are going to have to accept a 1.5% pay cut, higher medical insurance benefits and the potential of job loss as 147 positions were also recommended to be cut.
- 7-10 schools are to be shuttered.
- A science teacher at a recently remodeled high school (that needs to be remodeled again due to gangs and student unrest) has been arrested for taking a student to the zoo on a science field trip…IN HIS CAR.
- A band assistant director at a local middle school has resigned and arrested for asking a student to give him a massage at his home.
- An eighth grade student, who had repeatedly brought a loaded weapon to school, was arrested recently for showing it to friends in the bathroom.
- At an after school activity, sanctioned by the school because district transportation was involved, an 18 year old girl was raped by a 16 year old boy on the district bus while his 2 friends watched for any potential problems.
- The “fix everything right away” superintendent has resigned to take a job at a publishing company in New York leaving the district in the hands of a transitional superintendent during a national search.
Our children were subject to bullying in the schools where we live, and aggression was dealt with by compassionate counseling. The one time my oldest was seriously injured in a bullying incident, We wanted to file a charge against the aggressor and the police officer at the school tried to discourage us from doing it because of the paperwork involved. I neglected to mention, that I was ACTIVELY involved in both schools, and according to some teachers received preferential treatment in resolution of my children’s’ issues.
A disclaimer here. Not every district has problems to this degree, and even this district seems to be having a run of “bad luck.”This district has done some nice things as well, but is as bloated a bureaucracy as any government agency can be. There is nothing in place here currently or in the near future that shows us that one more program to administer will be any easier for them to handle.
Parents, remain active, remain engaged, remain involved. Keep an eye on your individual school district…keep an eye on your elected politicians. (The key word there is elected…they are there because of your vote.) Ask their opinion on virtual education before you vote for them. Write letters, emails, and CALL. Let them know YOU ARE OUT THERE. Join the coalition. Before school starts in August, let’s make it the goal, as parents, to have 2000 or more people registered on the Coalition website. I registered just recently and you can’t believe what kind of information is there. Raise your voice. Let your voices be heard loud, and clear and strong. You want this and you are not going away. A reminder, too. If you are in the program currently, please let the school know what your intention for the fall will be.
I certainly would agree with those who lack confidence in their district. However, perhaps I’m approaching this issue in the wrong way. I’m more than willing to be proven “wrong.” I hope I will be.
Am I the only one that feels like this about the school districts, or are there others like me?
Apr
23
Sign on
April 23, 2008 | | 3 Comments
Many folks have asked recently about the website addresses of the Coalition of Virtual Families and others that have to do with being schooled at home. Remember to sign up for the coalition as soon as possible.
COALITION OF VIRTUAL SCHOOL FAMILIES
Flvirtualfamilies.org
FOUNDTION FOR FLORIDA’S FUTURE
Foundationforfloridasfuture.org
FLORIDA VIRTUAL ACADEMY
Flva.org
K12 educational choice cirriculum
K12.com
FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL (high school)
Flvs.net
FLORIDA PARENT EDUCATOR ASSOCIATION
Fpea.com
HOME EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Flhef.org
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INFO PAGE FOR HOME EDUCATORS
Floridaschoolchoice.org/information/home_education/
Apr
21
Keep moving forward
April 21, 2008 | | 5 Comments
There is not, I believe a person reading this who would not agree that the Virtual Education Program is one of the best things that ever happened to them or their family. It is an experience like none other that many have found brought the family closer. The kids are excelling at their school work, and the horizon broadened exponentially since the program entered your home.
We have been asked to stay engaged, to stay involved and to advocate for what is right for us and can be for many others. Please do that. We must constantly remind those who are watching that this is a program that works, that we fought hard for, and we will continue to fight for.
We ask those that we voted for to fully fund this program, allow sibling enrollment, expand the program and make this a permanent school choice that we are entitled to have. We suggest to those we voted for that this is a reasonable alternative to help meet the almost unreasonable criteria and timelines of the class size amendment. We suggest to those we voted for, that we believe in this and that a vote for them means we would like a vote for this to continue, be funded fully, and to expand.
As Churchil said in 1941, “ Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in.” Join the coalition, stay involved, write and call your representatives, they work for you. Keep pressing for what you want. It is your right in this Representative Republic.
Apr
20
Accountability works, raise the bar! Don’t lower it!
April 20, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
Strengthening our system of accountability will improve the quality of education for today’s students. Just such a bill is working its way through the Florida Legislature.
Under Florida’s system of accountability, schools are graded on student learning – how many are achieving on or above grade level and how many students are making progress even if they are not yet performing on grade level. Because the FCAT math and reading are given in third through eighth grade, the system clearly reflects performance and progress of elementary and middle schools.
However, in high school, only one standardized annual assessment is given after the tenth grade – FCAT science – and the results of the test account for just 1/8 of the school grade. As a result, school grades reflect mostly the achievement and progress of freshmen and sophomores, while the success of juniors and seniors goes comparatively unmeasured and unrewarded.
To better capture the performance and progress of students throughout the four years of high school, the legislation (Senate Bill 1908) adds the following measures of student learning and achievement to the high school grade calculation:
- Graduation rates, with an emphasis on at-risk students,
- Participation and performance of students in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), dual enrollment and industry certification programs,
- Scores on SAT, ACT or other college placement exams, which assess college readiness of students, and
- Scores on standardized statewide end-of-course exams, if and when the state develops these tests.
Since Florida began holding schools accountable for student performance and progress, the results have been dramatic. The number of A and B schools has almost quadrupled, while the number of D and F schools has reduced by more than half.
Senate Bill 1908 will take the next step in increasing accountability and performance of our high schools.
To view Senate Bill 1908, visit www.leg.state.fl.us.
To learn more about school grades, visit www.afloridapromise.org.
Apr
18
In case you missed it..
April 18, 2008 | | 2 Comments
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: “JEB BUSH’S REFORMS IMPROVED PUBLIC SCHOOLS”
“Jeb Bush’s Reforms Improved Public Schools” TOWNHALL By Dr. Matthew Ladner April 17, 2008 Is demography destiny? If so, say some experts, states with growing Hispanic populations seem doomed to fail, weighed down with ineffective school systems and abysmal test scores. One academic goes so far as to predict the Southwest will become the “ Tackling education reform in Florida is a tougher nut to crack than in Massachusetts or Children who do not learn to read in the early grades almost never recover academically, falling further and further behind with each passing grade. Reaching the middle school years, they literally cannot read their textbooks and often become academically frustrated and disruptive. Hopelessly behind, these children begin dropping out of school in large numbers in the eighth grade. Researchers, therefore, focus heavily on fourth grade reading scores as a bellweather for the effectiveness of schools. In 1998, a stunning 47 percent of Best of all, improvements among Hispanic and African American students helped to drive the overall results. Scores of The average Florida Hispanic student NAEP reading score (conducted in English mind you) is now higher than the overall scores of all students in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Hold on to your hats, because this list is likely to grow in coming years. Florida ’s free and reduced lunch eligible Hispanics outscore the average for all students in several of the above states, including In 2007, a family of four needed to earn $20,650 to be qualified for a free lunch, $38,203 for a reduced price lunch. Nationwide, approximately 80 percent of free or reduced lunch children qualify for a free lunch. Median family income in Likewise, If Florida can maintain the current momentum, Florida ’s reform record provides hope to a nation struggling to improve education and to close racial achievement gaps. Given the proper incentives, public schools can improve. Disadvantaged children can learn at levels previously thought reserved for the privileged. It now falls to current Governor Charlie Crist, who served as Florida Education Commissioner during the Jeb Bush administration, to keep these gains going. Demography need not become destiny, in the Southwest or elsewhere. Reform minded governors must realize that the education unions fought Jeb Bush every step of the way. The prize, an education reform legacy which is the envy of the nation, was well worth the fight.
Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research for the Goldwater Institute and an expert on educational reform and school choice. Dr. Ladner holds a Ph.D. from the University of To view online, please visit http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DrMatthewLadner/2008/04/17/jeb_bushs_reforms_improved_public_schools?page=full&comments=true. For more information on how the Foundation for |
Apr
16
A reprint of an Op-Ed by Governor Bush
April 16, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
With an acknowledgement to the Miami Herald and the Foundation for Florida’s Future, I’m posting this because you need to see this, too.
“Opponents were wrong about impact of vouchers”
MIAMI HERALD
By Jeb Bush
April 14, 2008 “A quality education can change a life. It can lift a child out of poverty and provide young people with the skills to achieve their dreams. “Knowing this, how can anyone deny a poor child the right to a quality education? “In 1999,
Florida created Opportunity Scholarships to empower parents with financial resources to give their children a quality education. Under the program, students in chronically failing public schools were eligible for a voucher to attend a public or private school of their choice. The program was based on the principles that parents know better than bureaucracies how to best educate their children and that providing a quality education to children in low income families was the best way to prevent a life-long dependence on government. “Our history proves that the opponents were simply wrong about the impact of vouchers. Vouchers did not trigger a mass exodus of students from public schools. During the last year of the program, almost 190,000 students in public school were eligible for an Opportunity Scholarship, but only 734 students in the entire state participated; 95 percent were minority students from low income families. Moreover, participating schools could not pick and choose students. Closing the gap “Vouchers did not drain money from the public schools. Since vouchers were established in 1999,
Florida has increased funding per student by 49 percent. In fact, the program actually saved money. The state paid an average of $4,000 for an Opportunity Scholarship rather than the $7,206 provided for a student attending public school. To ensure accountability for the public funds, the state required a myriad of measures for participating schools. “Since introducing accountability and school choice,
Florida has experienced unprecedented rising student achievement in public schools. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, our fourth graders are now above the national average in reading and math. Eighth graders are ninth in the nation in writing. Overall, the state is closing the achievement gap.
Florida ’s high school graduation rate has in creased by more than 12 percent since 1999, and more students are entering college. “Unfortunately, Opportunity Scholarships were struck down as unconstitutional by a state appellate court in 2002. The appellate court ruled that vouchers represented ”indirect support” of a religious institution — even though the state was paying for a service, not funding a particular dogma. In 2006, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the decision and also ruled that vouchers for private schools violated a constitutional requirement that public education be ”uniform.” Under this tortured reasoning, a better education from a private school was unconstitutional because it was different than the education provided by a public school. “Fortunately, voters will get an opportunity to decide the merits of the first issue, which was placed on November’s ballot by the Taxation and Budget Review Commission. Opponents will again claim vouchers violate the separation of church and state, even though parents — not government — decide where to send their children to school. If the appellate court’s decision was applied ”uniformly” across the spectrum of government spending, it would end funding of dozens of programs that improve the quality of life for millions of Floridians. Few choices“The state would end funding for similar voucher programs, including private options under Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program and McKay Scholarships, which allow students with disabilities to opt for private programs that meet their special needs. High-achieving graduates would not be able use Bright Futures Scholarships to attend a private college. Faith-based prisons would close. The state would no longer fund programs that provide compassionate care for the elderly, support for families struggling to stay together and help for people who are dealing with addiction. The list goes on. “Disappointingly, the issue of uniformity is unlikely to make it to the ballot. The same commission decided not to put the issue to the voters, where Floridians could voice their opinion about the best way to provide a quality education.
“Meanwhile, too many children are not getting the quality education they deserve because they have few choices. As adults, many of them will lack the skills to succeed in the competitive global marketplace, leaving them dependent on government rather than their own abilities. That is the legacy of opponents of school choice.”
