Senate passes vouchers, now to House

Sen. Don Gaetz just released one piece of his education reform "train," the provision expanding the state's corporate income tax scholarship program by $30-million, to $118-million a year. But it still includes a provision the House leadership opposes, which could doom its passage in the session that ends just hours from now.

The Senate vote for HB653 was 29-11, with most Democrats opposed -- even though incoming Minority Leader Al Lawson, a member of the black caucus, urged his party members to support the bill that he says helps poor minority students.

"It gives some poor kids an opportunity to be successful in life," said Lawson, D-Tallahassee. "This is not going to hurt the funding of public schools. The only thing we're trying to do is give some kid an opportunity he might not have."

The version that passed the Senate gives a $200-per-student incentive to private schools that administer the state's FCAT exam, on top of the $3,950 corporate scholarship to students. But the House is likely to take the FCAT premium off the bill later today, and then send it back to the Senate to take it or leave it.

UPDATE: The House took up the bill, amended it and sent it back to the Senate. Track the progress here.

Comments

[Former Pinellas Teacher in NC]

I am so glad I left Florida after teaching in Pinellas County schools for 13 years. Re-animating vouchers (like Frankenstein's monster) and eliminating a provision for ANY private school accountability are reasons 41A and 41B for leaving, even though I was was a state-wide teacher of the year in Florida. Oh, I almost forgot reason 37A - forced creationism teaching...

Vouchers go to the Governor without even the joke of accountability which was the encouragement to take the FCAT.

Can we note that the only education bill that didn't pass was the accountability bill for the charter schools. HHHMMMM. That is shocking!

According to Sen. Gaetz (please watch the end of the morning portion of today's session), public schools get a "profit" of about $3000 for every student taking a voucher. By his thinking, the public schools could get rich if every student would take a voucher. They would get $7.8 billion for serving zero students. Does this sound true? It must sound true because the press won't dare question him. What a sad joke! A 34% increase for this voucher program while cutting public schools by over $900 million.