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Schools

House approves overhaul of schools

The bill features stiffer graduation requirements and state power to take over F schools and alter teacher assignments.

By LETITIA STEIN and STEVE BOUSQUET
Published March 24, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to reform Florida middle and high schools overwhelmingly passed the state House on Thursday with a series of controversial ideas tacked on.

One provision would let the governor take over a school district after a troubled school earns two consecutive failing grades.

Another would require the best teachers to be fairly distributed among schools. If not, the state could step in to move instructors around.

Another would have the state mandate rules for school calendars. As stated in the House bill, school boards must start the school year no earlier than seven days before Labor Day. But boards could push the start date to Aug. 8 by vote of a "supermajority" - greater than a simple majority, though not defined in the bill.

All these ideas are wrapped into an overall plan for change, one that would encourage students to begin career planning in middle school. High school would become more like college, with students picking majors and minors.

"Vote for this bill because it is a good step in the right direction," Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, urged lawmakers. "But be under no illusions. We don't need to reform education. We need to transform education."

While Democrats blasted the ideas as "big government" meddling, Republicans easily fended off their efforts to amend the legislation. It passed 85 to 35, with votes divided along party lines.

"Big Brother from Tallahassee will swoop into our communities and take over our school boards," warned Rep. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, the House minority leader. "I've got to stand up for less government."

Bush praised the House for "continuing to advance meaningful education reform."

The Senate is developing its own middle and high school reform package.

"I back the governor in general, and I back the concepts that he's trying to advance for reform in the high school and middle school area," said Senate President Tom Lee, R-Valrico.

Currently, the Senate companion legislation has not adopted some of the controversial elements in the House bill.

One would allow the governor to declare an emergency and take control of a previously troubled public school that receives an F grade for two consecutive years. The governor would take control of the district's finances and personnel and establish an oversight board to review its policies.

Rep. John Stargel, R-Lakeland, called the provision a legitimate use of executive powers.

But Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Wilton Manors, who voted against the bill with every other Democrat, said a takeover of an elected school board exceeds the governor's authority.

"It's just a slippery slope to start down," Seiler said. "We're delegating powers to the governor that don't exist in the Constitution."

Democrats also decried a requirement dealing with teacher assignments.

Under the House bill, districts could not assign a disproportionate number of inexperienced teachers to failing schools, or to schools with a large number of children from minority or poor families.

Another controversial provision deals with setting the school calendar.

"This is not something the Legislature should be dictating," said Ron Stone, spokesman for Pinellas schools. "It's something school districts should be deciding for the good of their own parents and students."

Pinellas schools moved to an early August start date three years ago, primarily to accommodate students enrolled in summer classes and those taking dual enrollment courses, said School Board member Jane Gallucci.

The start date for the next school year, Aug. 8, was unanimously approved by the board more than a year ago. The district plans calendars in three-year cycles.

Hillsborough's longest-serving School Board member, Carol Kurdell, said she doubts the change will affect the local calendar. Almost every year board members give unanimous approval to a calendar that now typically begins the first week of August.

Hillsborough moved its school year earlier in August several years ago at the request of students who wanted their semester to end before the winter holiday break.

"It's none of the legislators' business," Kurdell said. "They've got more important things to do than worry about a school calendar. I wish they would go do it."

After debating the contentious provisions at length, the House devoted little time to discussing the middle and high school reforms.

The legislation rewrites the requirements to graduate from high school.

Students still need 24 credits, but 14 of those must be in core classes such as English, mathematics, science and social studies. Students also would have to take four credits in math, instead of the current three.

The distribution of credits could change in the Senate, which appears interested in strengthening the requirements for arts education.

Along with reforms for traditional public schools, the House also passed on Thursday a bill to ensure that 733 students now attending private or religious schools with taxpayer money can continue to receive vouchers, even though the program was struck down as unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court.

The legislation, which passed by a 95-25 margin, allows those students to qualify for vouchers of $3,750 each next year under a separate program that gives tax credits to businesses that pay for vouchers. The corporate income tax credit scholarship program was not affected by the voucher decision.

Times staff writers Melanie Ave, Joni James and Donna Winchester contributed to this report. Letitia Stein can be reached at 850 224-7263 or lstein@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 24, 2006, 02:15:43]