advertisement

SSN on Facebook SSN on Twitter SSN on YouTube RSS Feed

17 Comments
Politics

Gillum, DeSantis Offer Sharply Different School Plans

September 19, 2018 - 6:00am
Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis
Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis

The Democratic and Republican candidates for governor on Tuesday launched competing plans to improve Florida’s schools.

In a news conference in Tallahassee, Democrat Andrew Gillum defended his proposal, first announced in January, to provide a minimum $50,000 starting salary for teachers by increasing the state corporate-income tax by $1 billion.

Republican Ron DeSantis released a detailed education plan, including a measure that would require 80 percent of school funding to be spent in classrooms and not on administration. He said the plan could help boost teacher pay.

Republicans have been criticizing Gillum’s plan to increase the corporate-income tax rate from 5.5 percent to 7.75 percent to raise $1 billion for schools, providing money for teacher pay and early-education programs.

Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor, said only the largest corporations pay the tax because of exemptions, estimating his proposal would impact about 3 percent of the companies doing business in the state. He said the increase would be offset by more than $6 billion in reduced taxes the corporations are paying because of the recent cut in the federal corporate tax.

“I will not allow them to get away with miss-describing what it is that we are proposing. We are simply saying that we’ve got to invest in our next generation,” Gillum said. “I want this state to be measured by the investment we make in kids, not into as many tax breaks as we can manage, but in our children. And I believe these are reasoned approaches.”

Gillum called it “an embarrassing indictment” of the state that Florida teacher pay ranks 45th among the states and that salaries are $12,000 below the national average.

He dismissed arguments that raising the corporate income tax would result in higher costs for consumers if companies passed on the tab through higher prices for goods and services. He noted the corporate tax rate was higher in Georgia, at 6 percent, yet “the 99-cent menu is the same in both our states.”

“I don’t buy that argument. It’s a red herring,” Gillum said.

But Republicans slammed the tax plan.

“No matter how he tries to spin this, raising $1 billion in taxes would be a disaster for hardworking Florida families,” said Meredith Beatrice, a spokeswoman for the Florida Republican Party. “Gillum wants to hand over control to the teachers’ unions and put special interests and bureaucrats ahead of students.”

Meanwhile, DeSantis, a former congressman from Ponte Vedra Beach, released his plan calling for 80 percent of education funding to be spent in classrooms. His campaign policy statement said it would “cut bureaucratic waste and administrative inefficiency and ensure that money is being spent where it matters most.”

After touring the Okaloosa STEMM Academy in Valparaiso on Tuesday, DeSantis said his plan could boost pay for teachers.

“As we’re moving away from bureaucracy and putting more of the percentage of money we spend into the classroom, to me, the primary beneficiary is going to be the teachers,” he told reporters.

DeSantis said he also wants to revamp teacher bonus programs and make them “more reflective of what you’re doing in the classroom.” He said he would support changing the current “Best and Brightest” program that has awarded bonuses based on teachers’ SAT and ACT college-entrance scores.

DeSantis also called for a review of curriculum standards now used in schools and said he wants to work on a provision that would require “constitutional principles” be taught as part of civics education.

He also said he would support a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on local school board members.

DeSantis’ “80 percent” plan is similar to a measure advanced in the Florida House more than decade ago, with lawmakers setting the classroom percentage at 65 percent. But the proposal failed in the Senate, in part, because of the difficulty of identifying funds spent inside or outside the classrooms.

“Aside from the fact that the scheme flies in face of local control of schools, it is a political gimmick that other states have tried and abandoned,” Joanne McCall, president of Florida Education Association, the major teachers’ union, said in a statement.

McCall said DeSantis’ overall education plan provides “no large-scale proposals that would make it easier for districts to hire and keep qualified teachers and education staff professionals.”

In a clear difference with Gillum, DeSantis also said he would work to expand education “choice” programs, including the use of corporate tax credits that sent more than 108,000 students to private schools in the last year.

DeSantis credited the voucher-like programs for Florida’s recent success in national testing measures, including the National Assessment of Education Progress, and for its rising high school graduation rate.

Gillum vowed to end “the voucherizing of the education system” that began under former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush.

“We’ve got to begin to bring that to conclusion,” Gillum said. “It’s been 20 years of the underfunding, the defunding of the public (school) system, which still educates over 90 percent of our kids.”

--- This report includes information from David Bishop of FLA News.

Comments

Says it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYeYPcougmA

http://intactnews.org/node/771/1431626644/bris-my-parents-did-not-want-me-have http://www.thepampanews.com/article_c039b15e-a318-11e3-bfee-0017a43b2370.html Nonton siaran langsung bola online yuk <a href="https://facebook.com" rel="external">Kunjungi ini</a>

Gillum is on the right road. Clearly, DeSantis is not.

Here comes the party rhetoric, socialism, special interests, etc., etc., etc. Well here are some facts. The DeSantis proposal was proposed before, didn't work 10 years ago, won't work now. It is easy to say 80% to the classroom, but it is just smoke and mirrors, 15% of all costs come from school transportation of kids, so that leaves 5% for Adminstration. That does not even pay the electric bills for the schools. So, ultimately, what DeSantis is saying. I don't have a plan. This one that didn't work 10 years ago sounds good, so let's dust it off and throw it out there to try to appease people. There is so much more to this election than just education and I am not the biggest Gillum fan, but I give him credit for a plan. A working wage for teachers, invest in education instead of special interests and corporate welfare. I don't have any illusions the legislature will approve Gillum's plan, but at least it is an investment in people, rather than money and business. Choice is expensive and 90% of all Charters fail, and tax payers are on the hook to pick up the pieces afterwards. I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I will examine if I am happy with the last 20 years, or if I think it might be time to try something different. The problem is there are as many problems as their are improvements over that time period. It's a tough choice once you throw out all the party rhetoric on both sides and just look at facts...

I tend to agree with you that neither of these candidates has a real world grip on the problems or solutions in public schools including public charter schools. Some critics want to focus on the small percentage of charter schools that are managed by for-profit management companies (approximately 20% in Florida). Do they think that management of traditional public schools is free? No, it is a massive part of traditional public education. In fact, some would argue that the for-profit company would be far more motivated to be efficient in their operation than the public schools that seem only motivated by money, power and expansion all the while chanting the mantra "it's all for the kids." And if you are looking for special interest groups and other vested interests, look no further than the corporations that build schools, school buses, provide required text books, furniture, reading programs, administrative computer programs and services, testing services, Advance Placement courses and text books, financial services, legal services or real estate. The list goes on and on. The general public do not understand the immensity of many school districts whose budgets are approaching a BILLION dollars on upwards to multi BILLONS of dollars. I was curious where you got the figure that "90% of all Charters fail..." The failure rate is nowhere near that number. Yes, some do fail, but to add that "tax payers are on the hook to pick up the pieces afterwards" is a distortion of reality. Most of the time, the schools have provided equivalent education services for the students while they were operating. The main reason charters fail is financial not academic. Admittedly, they often pressure the district to move displaced children quickly. And often teachers at those charter schools are left high and dry. However, the taxpayers do not indemnify those individuals or "pick up the tab" for unpaid salaries or other debts. The real question that is rarely asked when a charter school fails is, "Where was the sponsor, the school district?" Charter schools are required to submit monthly financial reports to the school district. The vast majority of the time, the impending financial crisis would be obvious to the district if they were paying any attention. To be fair, there are some districts that are very good at analysis and intervention. The majority are not. As the sponsor of the charter school, the districts are statutorily required to monitor the financial health of the charter school and intercede if the taxpayers' money could be in jeopardy. In most cases the problem is overlooked until it is a crisis. How many failing traditional public schools have been failing for many, many years? As a percentage, the cost of failing charter schools is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of supporting the failing traditional schools year after year after year. What is even worst is the ability of school districts to move children around so that they able to minimally "fix" the failing school without ever improving student performance. Move the students around and obscure the fact that their performance rarely improves.

sure would like to know where you get your data from Dr. Jones? In lifetime stats, 90% of Charters have failed and closed. 40% of Charters close within 10 years. 5% close within the first year. Those are facts and in a word, unacceptable. What you fail to realize in your diatribe about school boards lacking oversight of Charters is that most Charters are closed by the management company itself, NOT the school board. They don't have to give a reason, they just walk away, take the funding paid up to that point, and reopen in another county, just the costs of doing business. The kids are the ones who are left holding the bag and the tax payers. All the up front costs and contractual costs are gone, never to be recouped. That falls directly to the tax payer. Only a small percentage of Charters are closed by school districts, why? because of the ridiculous rules the legislature has enacted to let them off the hook. They have to be given a written corrective action plan. They are only required to make modest progress to remain open. Charter Schools have no commitment to anyone other than their profit margin (even not for profits), which brings me to the next reality you make no mention of. Students are not Charter schools number 1 priority, money is. School boards have to account for every penny they spend in writing. It is the law. Charters? Nope. The biggest thing you avoid in your argument about the benefits of Charters is public schools have to take all students in their catchment area (other than the small percentage expelled or moved to alternative schools). You have to apply and be accepted into a Charter school. Guess what? They don't take failing kids, kids with parents who won't commit to involvement both financially and personally. Bottom line, they run a rigged game and still fail while cherry picking their members. The last thing and probably the biggest failure of your argument is that failing public schools are primarily the responsibility of the local school board. It is the biggest misconception in the whole failing school argument. Schools do not take tests, kids do. If a kid refuses to do home work, study, learn, etc. The school can contact the parent, but if the parent refuses to intervene or participate, which is often the case in struggling school areas, the school still has to try to reach and teach the child and they are still tested whether they learn or not. They cannot cherry pick the kids, they get what they get. That is the real problem behind failing schools and that is the rest of the story...

Dang Florida voters look at what you have done. Opie Putnam would have totally been out there holding press conferences of his own rather than hideing behind his website like chickin shizz DeSantis. DeSantis should have asked Opie to be his Lieutenant Governor. Because Gillum has DeSantis STILL cowering in fear and hiding behind his website all because the delicate flower DeSantis can not deal with being called racist. Gillum's got your number DeSantis and he's gonna call you a racist again and again because you showed your fear.

All these claims of Gillum as a socialist are frusterating to hear. Apparently people don't know what socialism is. They just parrot Breitbart, Fox, and Trump.

It is the party rallying cry... Pure Capitalism is closer to true Socialism than Democratic Socialism would ever be. Instead of the means of production being owned by the Government, the means of production is owned by the 1%, who consequently also owns the government decision making through the biggest influence in politics, cash. The sheep will never admit any of that because their team has to win, at any costs, even if the country ultimately loses. Your welcome for the 242 year history and economics lesson, please send cash...

Yup,.. their plans are as different as "black & white";...as different as "socialism & democracy"; as different as "wet & dry"...etc., etc...

The difference here is much more like "socialism" vs. "fascism". Most people choose the former.

Socialism (which Gillum is not) and Democracy (which the U.S. ain't). You paint with "too broad" a "brush".

It is clear that the democratic socialist Gillum has NO IDEA about economics and is intent on Bribing the Teachers union and other union workers with promises Who does he think pays Corporations Taxes ? Their customers dummy. That is US

Your argument about consumers getting the bill would hold a lot of weight if we heard this same noise with trump and his tariffs. who do you think is getting that bill? That consumers are.

Not necessarily. If you are not happy with the price increase, you are free to shop elsewhere. That is the beauty and effectiveness of Capitalism when it is working, competition fuels efficiency and choices of the consumer. Unfortunately, the choices are often slim and corportations frequently collude to screw the working man and woman. That is why pure Capitalism is not only the most inefficeint means of production, it is also proven to be the most corrupt over time to fulfill increasingly difficult profit margins...

Considering that Florida's education funding is typical of a "deep south" state like Mississippi or Alabama, and that right wingers continue to siphon off money to 'for profit' charter schools, raising the corporate tax is probably the best place to find it. This might balance the benefits on federal taxes they received from the so-called Tax Reform Act. Or we could let politicians micromanage the school system. 80% in the classroom. How about the recent unfunded mandate of providing security? Several counties have voted to increase their own taxes to cover the cost. We had to. Read my lips: Republican politicians are afraid to raise taxes, even when it's the right and responsible thing to do.

His numbers add up.

Comments are now closed.

politics
advertisement
advertisement
Live streaming of WBOB Talk Radio, a Sunshine State News Radio Partner.

advertisement