Legislative scorecard: The losers

Earlier we told you about the bills that made it to the governor's desk. Here's a list of several of those that didn't get through. We tried to be comprehensive without being overwhelming. Here goes. (Didn't provide the bill links. Why bother? They didn't pass.)

Class size – Though the Legislature did postpone classroom counts by a year in HB 5083, it didn't adopt Rep. David Simmons' proposal to make full implementation more flexible. The bill had the support of several education associations and school districts. It might return next year. (HB 7043)

Evolution – After the State Board of Education approved a new science standard requiring the teaching of evolution as a key concept in biology, the critics went to work in the Legislature. But the Senate and House couldn't get in sync, and the bills died. See our past coverage here. (SB 2692, HB 1483)

65 Percent – The idea of requiring schools to spend at least 65 percent of their operating budgets in the classroom has yet to gain traction among lawmakers. (HB 1463) That did not, however, stop the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission from putting the idea on the November ballot, paired with vouchers, of all things.

Dress code – Lawmakers might not like it when kids wear their pants so low that everyone can see their underwear. But they didn't muster enough votes to stop it. (SB 302, HB 335)

Governance – Senate president Ken Pruitt wanted to rein in the Board of Governors. He threw in the idea of having voters again elect the education commissioner, a House initiative over the past few years. (See story here.) But the House didn't bite. (SJR 2308)

Charter schools – Senators thought that charter schools should come under tougher accountability standards, seeing as so many of them have had financial and/or management problems. The House didn't accept the proposal, and the Senate didn't like the House's charter schools-light bill. So nothing happened. (SB 1652/HB 1301)

Prekindergarten teacher qualifications - Ever since voters mandated pre-k in 2002, advocates have pushed for tougher credentials for the teachers. They even got Gov. Crist to voice support for the ideas that all pre-k teachers should have a bachelor's degree. But this bill to mandate the idea within five years didn't even get heard, again. (HB 741, SB 702)

Sex education - Researchers say abstinence only sex education doesn't work. This bill would have required schools to offer comprehensive, medically accurate and factual sex education curriculum. It didn't get heard. Sponsor Sen. Ted Deutch tried to attach the idea to the evolution bill, but that effort got rejected, too. (SB 848, HB 449)

School calendar - School district leaders have complained about the Legislature's decision a year ago to require school to stay closed until two weeks before Labor Day. Sen. Bill Posey seemed to be listening, proposing that local school boards be allowed to set the first day of school earlier if they meet certain conditions including a unanimous vote. The first committee to hear this bill killed it. (SB 2816)

ESOL - This bill would have reduced ESOL training for reading coaches from 300 hours to 60. Gov. Crist vetoed it a year ago. This year, the issue, which was a big deal fought primarily among South Florida lawmakers and constituents, won't get to the governor's desk. (HB 491)

Gifted - Would have mandated screening of all students for giftedness. (HB 297, SB 990)

Growth management - Would have required counting of portable classrooms when making decisions about development concurrency. (SB 474)

Energy efficient schools - Would have required schools to be rated as "green." (SB 562)

ROTC recruiter access - Would have prohibited schools from banning JROTC units and banned schools and colleges from banning military recruiters. (HB 251, SB 574)

Dropout prevention - Would have created a pilot program to allow students ages 16-18 to drop out of school and attend a "ready to work" program. (HB 817)

Civics education - Would have required inclusion of civics in the state education standards. (HB 393)

Student performance pay - Would have set monetary payments to students who achieve certain scores on selected high level exams such as AP tests. (HB 1261)

Comments

[Dr. Gloria Artecona-Pelaez]

FLDOE approved Teacher Education Programs in Florida supported the demise of HB 491. This is a Florida issue because it goes to the quality of the education our children receive. Effective teachers benefit and welcome professional development opportunities that increase their knowledge for the benefit of all children.
Let's hope this bill does not come back for another round!

Gloria

[Joyce]

Providing quality instruction for English language learners (ELLs) throughout Florida requires well prepared teachers. HB 491 would have lowered standards, which would have affected ELLs in all of Florida's 67 counties. In the Tampa Bay area alone, over 25,000 English language learners are enrolled in public schools, and school districts in the greater Orlando area educate over 50,000 ELLs. This is clearly an "all of Florida" issue, not merely a South Florida one.

[Mercedes]

Here in the Fort Myers area, in South West Florida, we were tracking the events surrounding this HB 491 Bill until it died. Teachers of Reading (and all teachers) need all the professional development training possible to make them knowledgeable and successful with ALL STUDENTS -- including their students who are English Language Learners. Reducing teacher-training requirements would NOT have been the right way to go. We want all children to be successful in our schools so as to become productive members of future society. We educators of SW Fla are glad that this HB 491 Bill died, and we hope it doesn't come back for another try! Teachers need all professional development opportunities!

[Dr. Robb Kvasnak]

Once again North Florida wants to stiff the rest of us. We here in Broward county live in a world that is globally connected - not just to south Georgia. What we need is not less TESOL/ESL but rather bilingual education for all so that our children will be able to function in a global society that will demand them to see things through many sets of eyes, not just those shaded in red-white-and-blue. We need a less simplistic and not a more simplistic stance -not belief but science - not introverted education but extroverted education with a multinational scope.
It is time for South Florida to stand up and shout: enough is enough!

[Quan]

This first key step has taken two years in the making and the voice of Floridians throughout the State has been heard through all their legislators. Hopefully, Senator Wise and co-sponsors of 491 have come to the realization that they have been riding a dead horse which will just reveal their foolishness if they attempt yet again in 2009.

There is, however, still much positive work to be done to provide leadership, advice and direction to FLDOE and decisionmakers about what is best for teachers and students in ELL education based on the momentous accomplishments which have resulted from the consent decree. It is time we realize that accessible and quality training make our classrooms better, not testing, not one-size fits-all curriculum, and most of all not disconnected-from-the classroom direction from Tallahassee.

[Sylvia Boynton]

Thank you for mentioning HB 491, the ESOL issue. This bill to reduce training requirements for teachers who work with children learning English was a "big deal" to educators everywhere who are concerned that teachers receive adequate training to work effectively with the ever increasing numbers of language minority students in Florida schools. We in the Tampa Bay area also worked to prevent its passage.

[Betsy]

On behalf of ESE ESOL students in Northeast Florida, we are very thankful to all involved in helping stop this bill. The majority in the field of English as a Second Language are well aware of all the training needs. Luckily, South Florida's voice was heard which spoke for all of us in smaller districts. Educators need all the training they can get. The objective here is to better serve students not to make life easier by reducing training for educators.

[Candace]

I agree that this was not a north/south issue. Many educators in the Gainesville area opposed this bill because it was widely perceived to be a big step backward for our state's most vulnerable students. Thanks to those legislators who saw that and stood up for what the felt was right.

[Rochelle]

For two years, Central Florida parents, community leaders, and several local legislators expressed concerns regarding academic success of English Language Learners and the importance of appropriately qualified teachers. This was hardly a South Florida only issue.

Thanks go to Osceola Commissioner Quinones, and Florida State Representative Darren Soto for their support. Thanks to Representative Carroll for working with Representatives Flores, Garcia, Rivera and others to achieve a bill that would put the focus on the needs of the students.

[Rick Lynn]

Interesting session! As for HB 491 (Reducing ESOL preparation of reading teachers), the support in favor of this bill was centered in North and Central Florida, its sponsor being from Clay County. Counties with small, yet growing, ESOL-student populations view the county-level in-service training as both a cost and a nuisance.
South Florida counties know that teachers who are well prepared to help students learn English profit from this professional ESOL credential, as do ESOL students.
A clear example of the tail (Clay County) trying to wag the dog (the rest of Florida), not the other way around.

[Jose A. Carmona]

It is very unfortunate that HB 491 is thought to be a south Florida fight. Many of us around the state wrote letters to the governor making him aware of the facts. I am from central FL, for example. By lowering reading teachers' training from 300 hours to 60, the state would have left out our students who are in need of learning English to become productive members of our society in the future. Furthermore, the legislators who put this bill together failed to realize that by law, our ESL students need to be serviced. By cutting the hours down to 60, it would reduce the amount of service provided to ESL students in the State of Florida.
Thank you...