florida expanding jebbie's vouchers/tax credit system

[Hannah Bell]

Florida voucher expansion bill advancing
By BILL KACZOR


Sellers of beer, wine and liquor would be added to the list of businesses that can get tax credits for donating to a private school program for low-income children as part of a Florida bill that also increases the value of the vouchers.

The measure that easily cleared the Senate Finance and Tax Committee on Tuesday pits a couple old adversaries: former Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union.

The union was part of a lawsuit that overturned a voucher program Bush started for students from what the state deemed to be failing public schools. The Florida Supreme Court struck down the "opportunity scholarships" that allowed those students to attend private schools at taxpayer expense...

The bill also would raise a $118 million cap on the program to $140 million during the budget year starting July 1 and allow for automatic increases after that if the program raises at least 90 percent of the capped amount in a given year.

Florida is also pushing a merit-pay bill that would use FCAT scores for pay and staffing issues (and these scores would account for over 50% of a teacher's evaluation). Sherman Dorn asks about constitutionality issues; a summary of the bill is available here.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/

[jody]

1. So 50% of FL's merit-pay would be based on student FCAT scores. Would some teachers then focus

even more on teaching to the test and ignore other education goals?

[Riley18]

2. Teachers figure they have no more than 10 years left. After that the Corporate Profit

Centers...oh, sorry, the politicians call them charter schools, will be the only schools left. Wonder how long before they are no longer free of charge? In answer to the question of whether or not the teacher villains will teach more to the test when it means the difference between working and being fired - I would think the answer is pretty obvious.

[Hannah Bell]

3. i just learned today that detroit got its first charter in 2005 & it's now almost half charters.

with the latest development, i think it will take less than another 5 years to be 100% charters.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. We got our first one in 1999 and have around 20 now

But since half our schools are closing, we are expecting more charters to open.