Florida Senate delays school testing bill amid rift in GOP

Accountability versus streamlining divides lawmakers.

TALLAHASSEE — Republican divisions on standardized testing temporarily scuttled a bill aimed at cutting back on the number of exams students face in public schools, though Senate leaders said they believed a vote Monday would not completely derail action.

The S e n a t e Educ a t i o n Committee voted narrowly to postpone action on SB 926, one of several this year dealing with testing. A bipartisan mutiny was led by Sen. Tom Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican who is a vocal opponent of the standardized testing regime and who has increasingly become an irritant to his chamber’s GOP leadership.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Lee said the process for dealing with the testing bill was “an abomination to our own rules” and was meant to trump legislation from Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who doubles as head of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.

“This bill was never fifiled until Sen. Montford’s bill began to get traction and support from the Republican caucus,” Lee said. “Then another piece of legislation comes out to change the subject and then becomes the leading piece of legislation on testing reform in the Senate. That’s just wrong.”

Voting with Lee were Sen. Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican slated to become Senate president late next ye a r; S e n. Gar y Fa r mer, D-Fort Lauderdale; Sen. Debbie Mayfifield, a Vero Beach Republican who serves as vice chair of the committee; and Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale.

O p p o s i n g w e r e S e n . Ani t e re F l o re s , a Mi a mi Republican who is sponsoring the bill; Sen. David Simmons, an Altamonte Springs Republican who chairs the S e nate ’s e duc at i on budget-writing committee and has been closely involved in the testing debate; Sen. Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican who is serving as a de facto chairman of the Edu- cation Committee; and Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando.

The fifight provided another indication of the complicated politics of testing in the Legislature, and particularly in the Senate. Many Republicans side with the education accountability movement, spearheaded by Gov. Jeb Bush during his time in offiffice and since promoted by the Foundation for Florida’s Future, an organization set up by Bush.

But other members of the GOP have increasingly called for streamlining tests. Lee has openly questioned why students who do well on college-admissions tests also have to take the high school g radu at i on exa m. Ot her Republicans have aligned themselves with conservative activists who relate the state’s tests to the Common Core education standards, which they oppose.

Flores’ bill, dubbed the “Fewer, Better Tests” legislation, is backed by the foundation. Critics note that the bill doesn’t explicitly eliminate any tests, though supporters counter that it could lead to some local tests being shelved because they don’t meet reporting standards in the legislation. It would also study allowing entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT to be used instead of the graduation exam.

Montford’s proposal (SB 964) would, among other things, get rid of the requirement for end- of-course tests in geometry, Algebra II, U.S. history and civics; allow college-entrance exams to be used in l i eu of the state’s gradu ation te st , without a study; and allow a pencil-and- paper option for com- puter-based tests.

Amendments to Flores’ bill fifiled with the Senate Education Committee would have adopted parts of Montford’s legislation, including removal of the same end- of-course tests and providing the pencil-and- paper option.

Supporters of the legislation tabled Monday said they were confifident it would return. Flores said she has been working with Montford on the bill.