Revise old rules that hold back education in Florida
The Sun Sentinel recently editorialized that Amendment 8 should be removed from the ballot, taking the position that voters are not smart enough to understand what they are voting on.
I have a higher opinion of my fellow Floridians. The State of Florida has requested the Florida Supreme Court quash a lower court order and approve Amendment 8 for placement on the November ballot. The state’s appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court next Wednesday.
But let’s get to the real issue. The Sun
Sentinel and the League of Women Voters of Florida oppose empowering families to choose the education setting that best fits their child.
On that, we disagree.
To be clear, I celebrate the success of our traditional public schools. Thanks to our many excellent administrators and educators, they have made tremendous strides since the turn of the century.
But I don’t believe the rules that school districts operate under, codified 50 years ago in the Florida Constitution, are relevant in today’s Florida.
We need innovation. We need diverse learning models for our incredibly diverse student population. Florida – under its current, outdated laws – cannot realize this for students unless we cut the red tape. Once out in front on education innovation, Florida is falling behind other states that do not share our state’s constitutional barriers.
Imagine our colleges involved in K-12 education, overseeing public schools that graduate students not only with highschool diplomas, but college degrees. Imagine public schools of excellence in highdemand fields such as science and engineering. Imagine these schools available online to all students in Florida. Imagine residential public schools where students and teachers from any county could come for a semester and gain hands-on experience from some of the state’s best engineers in Central Florida, magnetic engineers in the Panhandle or aerospace engineers on the Space Coast.
Those with a mission to preserve the status quo have created unwarranted confusion and fear over what Amendment 8 will do. And we’re working to correct the record.
Amendment 8 is about opportunities for innovation not limited charter schools – precisely why charter schools are not named or prescribed in the amendment language. Not only was the editorial wrong about how great Florida schools are doing (as innovation and choices have grown in Florida, traditional public schools have improved), they were also wrong to make an Amendment 8 debate about public charter schools. In truth, if the amendment passes, the Legislature does not have to change anything related to charter schools. They could expand lab schools or create regional magnets for instance.
I wish the Sun Sentinel had attempted to consult with me to ask if these assumptions were accurate before printing them.
What else does Amendment 8 do? It creates eight-year term limits for school board members, to bring fresh faces and ideas to education. I was proud to include this policy, as a sitting school board member. I have witnessed the danger of stagnation on our school boards. Again, it’s about the students. Amendment 8 also prioritizes and protects civic education, to help students become informed, engaged citizens.
I am confident Amendment 8 will be on the ballot this November, and I hope reporters will embrace both sides as they write about this issue in the future.
And to the grownups blocking opportunities at every turn, please remember that the window of time for a student to receive a high-quality education is so small. They only have one chance.
Amendment 8 will give more children in Florida the chance to succeed – and it deserves a fair shake.