Received this e-mail today from former Rep. Gwen Graham’s (D. FL) gubernatorial campaign:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Gwen Graham (D. FL)
I know I sent you an email earlier -- but this is too important not to write you again. Governor Rick Scott is calling a Shell Game Special Session.
Make no mistake, his proposal will not increase spending for public schools. On paper, they want to return us to last year’s budget, but their plan allows charter schools to steal Title I funding from our neediest schools. This will result in layoffs which will directly impact Florida students -- especially those at schools like Miami Carol City Senior High, where I performed a Workday last month.
This is a gift to Betsy DeVos and the education industry at the expense of public schools. We must call on Rick Scott to go further and protect public schools, not sign them away.
Republicans didn’t allow for any real debate on the education bill. They created it in back rooms with secret deals and then rammed it through at the end of the session. So much for transparency. But now that we’ve had a chance to read the bill, here’s what’s wrong with it: almost everything.
The GOP education bill would:
Allow charter schools to open near public schools, then steal away the top students and public funding
Divert $100 million in capital funding to charter schools without regard to the funding needs of public schools
This bill is a bad deal for our children, parents, and teachers. It only took one read through for me to call on Governor Scott to veto it. And as Governor, I will veto any bill that shortchanges public education.
I will end high-stakes testing and get our children back to what really matters -- learning. I will end the degrading system of arbitrary school grades. And I will give our teachers the raises they deserve.
