angelgomez@thecityofweston.com
In an attempt to keep you informed of the latest “potential” State changes that may affect the public school system, I will be sharing with you highlights of Governor Rick Scott’s education transition team released recommendations to reform Florida’s public schools. Before we begin listing recommendations, it is important to know who are some of the most notable members in this team: Michelle Rhee – who became nationally known for firing hundreds of teachers and closing schools in Washington D.C. while serving as the Chancellor of school; Patricia Lavesque – Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education Foundation’s Executive Director; Frank Brogan – Chancellor for the State University System of Florida; Dennis W. Blake – President and CEO of Imagine Schools and Jonathan K. Hage – President and CEO of Charter Schools USA.
Others (but not all) in Governor Scott’s Education transition team include Mary Ellen Elia (Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools), Ed Moore (President of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida), J. David Armstrong, Jr. (President of Broward College and Former Chancellor of Community Colleges of Florida), John Kirtley (Chairman, Step Up For Students), Liza McFadden (President, Volunteer USA Foundation), Dr. Fred Lippman (Chancellor, Health Professions – Nova Southeastern University), Dr. Judy Genshaft (President, University of South Florida), Julio Fuentes (President, Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Carlos Curbelo (Miami Dade School Board and State Director for Sen. LeMieux), Mindy Cunningham (Principal, J. Strategies), Gary R. Chartrand (Executive Chairman, Acosta Sales & Marketing Company and Board of Directors , KIPP Schools Jacksonville, Florida), Dr. Don Pemberton (Director, Lasting Center For Learning University of Florida) and Mindy Lafevers-Hodge (World History Instructor, Florida Virtual Schools).
It is important to know the members of this education transition team to better understand where the proposed recommendations are coming from. All members of the team bring professional experiences and represent a specific interest at this “Florida School Reform” recommendation table… and their recommendations will have an instant impact on the public school systems of Florida and it’s students.These recommendations were summarized in a 40-page report that was submitted to Governor Scott for his review. Teacher quality, school choice and accountability were among the 13 subject areas covered in this report. Here are some highlights:
TEACHER QUALITY
1)Teacher evaluation systems must be based at least by 50 percent on multiple year reviews of student progress.
2) A new performance based salary schedule needs to be developed to ensure teachers who are effective at achieving student academic progress are paid more. 3) Teachers who work in low-income or low-performing schools with high need students in high need subject areas such as math and science, receive higher levels of compensation. 4) The new performance salary schedule should provide incentives for teachers who give up tenure in exchange for higher salaries. 5) Tenure would be eliminated for all newly hired K-12 teachers. 6) New teachers should receive annual contracts only for the first three years of their employment. 7) All other teachers would receive contracts for no more than three-year periods in subsequent years. 
Administrators would be empowered to keep effective teachers rather than relying on seniority for staff reduction decisions. 9) An expedited removal process should be developed to get rid of ineffective teachers. 10) Parents must consent for their student to be placed in a classroom of a teacher who is rated ineffective.
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE
1)Students should be allowed to enroll in any county public school system, charter school or virtual school without regard to the district of residence of the student’s parents. 2) Parents would be responsible for transportation costs. 3) Allow students to register in any of the county’s public schools as long as space is available. 4) Parents would be responsible for transportation if the school selected is outside the district’s established transportation zones.
EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (VOUCHERS)
1) Allow parents of public school students to receive funds for an education savings account equal to 85 percent of the amount the student would have generated in the public school system. 2) The State, not district, will save 15 percent for every public school parent who chooses the voucher option. 3) Parents would be allowed to use the 85 percent of their student’s public school funding for private school tuition, virtual schooling, tutoring and dual- enrollment college programs. 4) Parents will have an “education marketplace” to make decisions as they shop for high quality, low cost alternatives to public schools. 5) Existing voucher programs such as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and McKay Scholarship can be applied to make up any difference in funds. 6) Education Savings Accounts are not recommended to supplant existing voucher programs, but instead, to be supplemental.
DISTRICT ACCOUNTABILITY
1)The letter school grading system will continue with increased accountability in the calculation. 2) Districts should annually provide for each family a student achievement growth chart that shows how their children are progressing against predicted growth measures. 3) Parents are provided a “trigger” policy to allow a majority vote of parents to initiate a school “turn-around” solution selected by the parents. 4) Parents will be provided a concise and easy to understand financial statement about how many resources the school received, how the money was spent and what the academic gains were for the year, which can be compared to other schools in the district and statewide. 5) All school districts will annually publish an understandable income statement showing how they spent funds.
For access to the complete report please go to the following website: www.myflorida.com. It is important to stay up-to-date as these recommendations, if adopted, will have a direct impact in the public school system our children attend… Asides from being informed – let your voices be heard… contact your legislator with your thoughts regarding these recommendations. For contact information go to www.myfloridahouse.gov and www.flsenate.gov or you may also contact Governor Rick Scott directly at www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott by clicking on the “Contact Governor Scott” tab. Stay in touch and until next time – Angel.
