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Governor's district oversight power remains in school bill

TALLAHASSEE - A provision that would give the governor authority to oversee districts with low-performing schools withstood an attack Tuesday by Democrats in the House, where it remained part of a wide-ranging education overhaul bill.

Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Wilton Manors, offered an amendment to shift that authority from the governor to the State Board of Education, but it failed on a voice vote.

"I'm concerned about the language in here that gives the governor some super power over education," said Seiler, arguing that it contradicts provisions in the Florida Constitution that give the state board and county boards authority to manage public schools.

Rep. John Stargel, R-Lakeland, said the Constitution also lets the Legislature pass laws to enforce an amendment requiring a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality system of free public schools."

The House is expected Thursday to take a final vote on the "A-Plus-Plus" bill (HB 7087). It is a followup to Gov. Jeb Bush's "A-Plus" program enacted in 1999 to bring accountability to public schools through standardized testing and grading schools.

This year's bill focuses on increasing rigor and relevance in middle and high schools. It includes a unique provision that would require high schoolers to select major and minor subjects as college students do.

Another part of the bill will require the school year to start no earlier than a week before Labor Day but let school boards approve a date as early as Aug. 8 by a supermajority vote. It is a response to complaints that starting dates have been creeping up into early August. School officials say earlier dates give students more time to prepare for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, given in February and March, and permit final semester exams to be given before the winter break.

The only Democratic amendment to win approval, on a voice vote, would require D and F schools to report teacher retention rates to the state along with reasons teachers left.

On another school measure, the House rejected a Democratic proposal that would require voucher students who attend private schools at taxpayer expense to take the FCAT, the same as public school children.

It was offered as an amendment to a bill (HB 7041) that would let most students in an unconstitutional voucher program switch to another one not yet been challenged in court.

The bill will require voucher students to take other standardized tests chosen by their private schools or voluntarily take the FCAT, said Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka, sponsor.

Rep. Ron Greenstein, D-Coconut Creek, asked, "If the FCAT is the whole and mighty grail in student promotion and student graduation, why shouldn't it go ... to these other schools, too?"

Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, responded: "These are not schools that we run. We have difficulty running the schools we need to run."

The Florida Supreme Court earlier this year declared the Opportunity Scholarship Program, with about 700 students, in violation of a state constitutional provision that requires a uniform system of free public schools. Students from public schools that received an F on the state's grading system for two years in a four-year period were eligible for opportunity scholarships.

Pickens' bill would let opportunity scholarships students transfer to a voucher program supported by corporate tax credits for students from low-income families, if they meet the income requirements. He said 75 percent - about 525 - of the opportunity scholarship students could make the switch.

[Last modified March 22, 2006, 01:58:24]