How much will summer school cuts hurt in Florida?

If FCAT scores stall next year, we should remember how many Florida districts slashed summer school this year to balance budgets. Districts around the country did the same, of course, but the cuts here were extensive enough that the New York Timeschose Brevard County, Fla., to anchor this national story.

Florida School Boards Association executive director Wayne Blanton told the New York Times that nearly every district in Florida pared summer school and about half “eliminated it altogether.”

Around Tampa Bay? Hillsborough cut summer programs from five days to four days per week. Both Pinellas and Pasco kept summer reading camps for struggling third graders - who are mandated by the state to get the extra help - but eliminated it for other elementary school students in need of that boost. Pasco also cut summer school for many middle school students.

“The kids who desperately need these opportunities … are going to experience tremendous setbacks this summer,” Ron Fairchild, executive director of the National Center for Summer Learning, told the Christian Science Monitor for another recent story about summer cuts. School districts “are incurring a huge debt in terms of the interventions that will be required later.”

Ron Matus, state education reporter

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Comments

[ron matus]

Upon further review, it appears Hillsborough did NOT cut summer school. It shortened the summer school week from five days to four, but kept the same number of total days - 24 - as it had last year.

[John]

Summer school is a joke anyway. If you are going to have it make it like real school. No fun and games especially if you flunk a course because you did nothing all year. High school kids have got it all figured out. Do nothing for the year and then sit in a class all day for two weeks and make it up.

[terminator]

Ron, Jeffrey and Gradebook reporters:
you know I love you guys but when in the H is someone going to start doing some hard hitting investigative journalism rather than simply accepting all the blather that comes out of these school districts????

Do we need Alex Leary transferred over to Gradebook? What if Alex had only printed what Ray Sansom, Bob Richburg and Jay Odom told him? He never would have broken a huge scandal that rocked our legislative process to the core?

Face the facts guys. These districts LIE through their teeth.

Exhibit 1(A):
In the Florida Legislature's final 2009-2010 FEFP conference report dated May, 5th (last day of session), it specifically states on page 26 the legislature allocated $637 million for SUPPLEMENTAL ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION-more commonly referred to as "SUMMER SCHOOL" by school districts.
This money is flexible and can be used anyway the district wants to spend it but it's in the budget!
PINELLAS-$22.014 million
HILLSBOROUGH:$39.100 million
PASCO: $18.062 million
HERNANDO:$5.220 million
MANATEE:$8.694 million

WHEN WILL EVERYONE GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THEIR DOO DOO HOLES AND START UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL DISTRICT'S LIE ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!

Wayne Blanton, Executive Director of the Florida School Boards Association told the New York Times every Florida school district "either cut or pared" summer school. Shouldn't we expect better reporting from the New York Times? Shouldn't the reporters from the Times bothered to check and find out if what he was saying was true?

Guess what guys? The FSBA is a special interest organization that DOESN'T CARE about students, schools, teachers or taxpayers.
They care about protecting their piece of the pie and will do anything to ensure they don't absorb the cuts.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!