Challenge brewing

One by one, school districts are stepping up to fight the State Board of Education's decision to deny them the exclusive authority to grant or deny charter school contracts. Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough, as well as several others including Miami-Dade, Duval and Palm Beach have voted to ask the board to overturn the State Board's ruling.

More than that, a group of them is working with lawyers to determine whether - more likely when - to sue the state over the constitutionality of the law that creates the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission as an alternative to local control of charters.

They have until Dec. 3 to file their notice to appeal the State Board decision. But "there never is a deadline for challenging constitutional language," says Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, which is spearheading the lawsuit drive.

Blanton tells the Gradebook that several superintendents and school board lawyers will meet in Tampa next week to plot out strategy.

"Then we're going to file," he says. "My guess is, it will be some time in December or early January."

Related story: Lawsuits may decide future of Florida charter schools, Sun-Sentinel, 11/30/2007

Comments

Hmmmmmm. Who was it that (incorrectly)predicted that school boards didn't have the "balls" to stand up for their Constitutionally established powers against the Taliban of the Legislature? I think it might have been . . . Terminator.

The irony is the Legislature is suing the Governor to protect their constitutionally established powers. Hmmmmm. I guess they only know how to read the parts that apply to them.

I have an idea, let's give the power to approve compacts to the Florida Schools of Excellence. They have as much Constitutional authority to do that as they do to approve charter schools. Ha ha ha.

[terminator]

11:28
Well, I will give the little lemmings some credit.
One by one they're lining up and feeling emboldened.
Their show of solidarity is sure to scare the socks off Marco and legislative leaders.
Too bad for them Florida's economy is tanking, the state's set to cut almost $2 billion from next year's budget, several different tax reform proposals could be on the ballot resulting in more cuts to school budgets, class size finally kicks in next year.
The noose continues to tighten.
Not a good time to be a Florida school administrator is it?
I love to see these guys wriggle.
Wasn't it Nixon who said "when you've got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow".
We've got them by the balls and we're ready to start squeezing.
Can you say "soooeeeeyyyy"?

How much lower can they possibly fund public education while still meeting CSR out of GR and also meeting their other constitutional responsibilities to a "high quality system" and a "paramont duty."

It is the Legislature that should be concerned that they cannot (and probably will not) be able to meet THEIR responsibilities as established by the constitution. This is the document that gives them any power at all. If they ignore it, the very moral justification for THEIR existence is lost.

I love that you are quoting Nixon. How did that work out for him by the way?

I am not a school administrator. I work in the private sector. I make more than you and more than 2/3rds of the superintendents in this state. So, I am not wriggling. However, I do have children in the public school system, and my elected legislators better do THEIR jobs.

Since you are a union LEACH, I cannot offer a snippy quote for your sound, but I can say that you SUCK.

Have a great day. How is your boyfriend?

[terminator]

"constitutional duty"?

forgive me while I HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, that's too funny,

"high quality system"? hehehehehehehehe, you're killing me here

"paramount duty" hohohohohohohohoh, you're too much.

what ever gave you the idea the legislature wanted to do such things?
ahahahahahahahaha!

I just fell off my computer chair and diet coke's coming through my nose!

why don't you just send your kids to private schools like all the other sychophants?

Terminator,

The fact that you have ZERO value for the very constitution that establishes our constitutional democracy in this state and country says everything about you and the people that you support.

It is the same constitution that suggests that the Legislature MIGHT have a role in signing compacts with the tribes that clearly states that SCHOOL BOARDS supervise and control all of the PUBLIC schools in their districts. The same Legisaltors who IGNORE the constitution when it suits them try to defend it when they feel that the seperation of powers established by the document is important.

The good news is that it was just (diet) coke this time coming out your nose. We know what is usually there.