Actually, I am voting against Amendment 8 which is trying to gut the smaller class size amendment previously approved by the electorate, so I was interested to read a different point of view from a mom active in the PTA. My opinion is, we voted for it, you damn well better fund it. Running it into the ground and making moms and dads hate it is NOT fair to the voters who approved it. The State Legislature just wants to dismantle public schools (they call them State schools) in favor of charter schools. - Geniusofdespair. Here is another point of view from PTA Mom:
I will be voting yes on Amendment 8. I am disgusted with how schools are creatively and desperately meeting the current class size requirements. Thus far I have seen: (1) Children removed from the classroom and placed in front of a computer for "Virtual School." (2) Put two teachers in the class so now you can double the number of children in the room. (3) Remove the art and music teachers because you need the classroom space.
An 11 year old child is not ready to learn from a computer program. Double the number of children in the room is the opposite of the idea of smaller classes. Place "Art on a Cart" and canceling music removes the incentive for many children to even go to school. We are becoming an FCAT factory--if it isn't tested in the FCAT then it isn't important.
When I voted for class size reduction in 2002 I had the idea that the State was actually going to pay for the increased number of teachers and build more classrooms. Instead, no additional funding has been received and schools are fined if they can't meet the class size reduction. Miami Dade County doesn't even keep all of the School Property Tax we collect--it goes to Tallahassee and gets redistributed. We are a "Donor County" that is being threatened with fines if we cannot meet impossible regulations that are not going to benefit the students. There is no proof that smaller class size is the answers.
Schools are at and beyond enrollment capacity. With the economy in the dumps, parents have been moving their children out of private and into public schools. Amendment 8 will give schools some flexibility to determine class size. Florida is the worst state in the nation in per student funding--if we aren't going to fund schools, we should at least give them the ability to still offer a full range of programs.
15 comments:
Your anger is misplaced lady. The legislature does this all the time. If they don't like a citizen amendment they do their best to make it NOT work. You have been manipulated!
Unfortuntately, the PTA Mom has been manipulated by lots of people: the unions that want smaller classes and the resulting increase in teacher jobs; MDCPS, which distorts its receipts to claim "donor county" status while failing to seriously manage its own costs; the edu-pols who claim in error that smaller classes equal better education; and, the legislature that promises the moon while knowing it does not have sufficient revenue to fund the class-size amendment.
Also Mom, the legislature doesn't fund schools, you and I do. The legislature merely arranges the deck chairs. If you vote against Amendment 8, you are voting to continue punishing kids because the system cannot function under the class-size amendment as written.
PTA Mom, don't cry uncle. when we voted for the class size amendment in 2002, we placed the mandate to fund our public educational system into the constitution. If you recall, it was not favorably received by then Governor Jeb! Who threatened that it would "blot out the sun" . And the legislature did fund class size for several years, and we made progress in reaching the school averages. But this past legislature came up with a very calculated strategy to manipulate voters to water down the funding mandate, and you fell for it, hook line and sinker. They cleverly and strategically imposed a deadline with punitive fines to occur by mid October 2010, just in time for voters in Florida to have a knee jerk reaction such as you have had. Our schools were forced to frantically find ways to reach the class size statutory imposition of a deadline or face huge fines, and yes it had a devastating impact on our children. but they have been used as pawns by the republican leadership who forced this bill through the legislature last session. you need to understand that that deadline and those punitive fines were NOT in the constitution. They were imposed by a diabolical legislative majority who no longer want to fund our public schools and think if they strangle us, we will cry uncle. Dont be fooled. Tell the legislature we said what we meant and we meant what we said in 2002. We demand they fund our schools to have classes small enough to give our children the attention they deserve. Vote NO on Amendment 8.
I voted against the original Class Size Amendment because the decision on what happens in our public schools needs to be close to the community, namely our local School Board. I also assumed, apparently correctly, that the State of Florida had no intention of “funding” regardless of what the constitutional amendment stated. What I would like to see our community do it to sue the State of Florida for NOT adequately funding Public Education.
PTA MOM, here. I am confused which way all the comments are going. I am voting for Amendment 8--as is the recommendation of Miami Dade County PTSA.
It sounds like Cindy and I are, and forth anonymous are voting NO. Secont anonymous appears to have misinterpreted your post badly--- but sounds to be voting 'yes' with you.
October 19, 2010
I happen to have been at a PTA sponsored meeting last night to hear a discussion on legislative funding formulas for counties and how Miami Dade gets less than other counties. When they did not mention the Class size amendment, I rose to speak on it and gave the same history I did in above post. Sadly the PTA council president tried to silence me and shout me down, saying it is a very controversial amendment. Shame on her for trying to silence an opinion different than hers. And shame on the Florida PTA for not supporting the Class size Amendment.You don't stand up for the children of Florida after all!
Cindy Lerner
We're damned if we do and damned if we don't (Vote Yes on #8). The original intent of the amendment is being manipulated by the schools in order to meet the deadline by combining classes, moving students around, etc; much to the detriment of the students and the teachers. I would much rather have 21 students with 1 good teacher than 40 with 2. The energy level and chaos of that many students in one classroom (usually the size of one meant for 20 students) is not productive for anyone. But if we vote yes on the #8, we are letting the bureaucrats get away with not fulfilling their promise to reduce class size and not fund the schools properly. I just feel like we can't win no matter which way we vote. It's sad for our children, our teachers and our future.
Administrators and staff at the region offices have been given new names and have been sent out to the field, but are essentially doing the same thing.
The bottom line, it takes a minimum amount of money to do a job well. If you cut the budget, the money needs to come from somewhere.
The funding model was broken. Marco helped. Thanks, Marco. Thanks for nothing.
This is a manipulation. Jeb said that he was going to get "around" this amendment, and it looks like he and his boys have. (Funny that you never see a Bush in a private school, yet they continue to run the public school show.) Anyway, this amendment was passed in 2002? Miami-Dade Schools are behaving as if they just learned about it last week. School started in August and kids are starting in new classrooms as we speak (or read). Parents are pissed off and rightly so. They want you to be pissed off when you go to the poles. Teachers are pissed off. One day they're doing a job, and the next they're in a classroom 40 miles from their home.
Put the blame where it belongs: It not the amendment. It's the administrators. They're the ones we need to get rid of.
I wish I could afford to live in Pinecrest I would love to have a Mayor like Cindy Learner! Layer upon layer of complicit MDCP bureaucrats are wink winking and nudge nudging and manipulating changes in the schools just to save $ on the backs of the kids. The Special Ed kids and their parents were the first to be duped in my school. Damn their rights by federal law, lets just shove them and their teachers wherever the numbers work best for Dade Co and the State Legislature! Don't let them bully us. We told them what we wanted in 2002.
I am voting yes for Amendment 8 because it supports school wide average - with a hard cap per class that allows flexibility for administrators but holds them accountable.
Children don't come in perfect packages of 18 prekindergarten through grade 3; 22 students in grades 4 through 8; and 25 students in grades 9 through 12. Given the highly matriculating population in our state, declining enrollment, increase in charter schools and the current economic difficulties in our nation, Florida is a different state than it was in 2002.
I can live with the flexibility of a maximum of 21 students in prekindergarten through grade 3; 27 students in grades 4 through 8; and 30 students in grades 9 through 12. And, I support legislation that holds districts accountable. Why would we water down legislation to lift penalties? How is that beneficial? Accountability is vital.
Take the bi-partisan politics out of my child's future. Look at the current environment, reassess and know that children should be our priority. The current state of 40 students with coteachers, combination classes of K/1/2 and all the other 'work arounds' are wrong. Support Amendment 8. Focus on what is best for the future of Florida!
There is so much misinformation on this amendment. This is about reducing funding not about flexibility. This amendment is supported by the legislators that drafted and supported SB6. Get informed, very few School Board Members are speaking up about this. I heard new board member Regalado speak about it and she is asking voters to vote No on 8.
School Board member Raquel Regalado is backed by the teacher's union. The teacher's union has always wanted smaller classes only because it will require himring more teachers. More teachers equals more money collected from union dues. Don't be fooled. Vote YES on 8.
Post a Comment