As they approach Friday's end-of-session, Florida House members tackled education issues Monday as part of their agenda, expanding school choice options and passing a measure reforming the Miami-Dade School Board.
Digital Learning Act
The House backed the Digital Learning Now Act introduced by Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, on a vote of 98-19. The measure mandates that every student, starting with incoming students beginning ninth grade in the fall of 2011, would take an online course and would create online-based charter schools.
It is about an option for kids, said Stargel, who maintained that every school district across the state was prepared for blended and online courses. Not every kid learns the same way.
The classroom is simply not the same thing as when we were in school, said Rep. Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, who noted that his two children attended virtual schools. This bill will let the parents know about the option and help our kids go into the 21st century.
This is just another form of choice for our kids, said Rep. Stephen Precourt, R-Winter Garden, who also had children in virtual schools. This is the new way of learning.
Democrats attempted to poke holes in the bill, arguing that many students did not have access to the resources needed to take online and blended courses.
This bill does not really provide the infrastructure, said Rep. Gwyn Clarke-Reed, D-Pompano Beach, who insisted that many students did not have access to computers and that this would allow noncertified teachers to be instructors. It mandates the online course an online course is not something we should mandate.
Opportunity Scholarships
A bill sponsored by Rep. Michael Bileca, R-West Miami, that changes the boundaries of Opportunity Scholarships and redefines the definitions of failed schools, passed 84-30.
The purpose of this bill is to look out for the student, said Stargel, who praised the bill for expanding choice.
When it comes to your education, its not about taking one for the team, said Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, who insisted that racism was keeping students trapped in underperforming schools.
It expands a definition of a failing school, said Democratic Leader Pro Tempore Joe Gibbons of Pembroke Park. We dont have failing schools. We have failing communities because parents arent getting involved.
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program
A measure introduced by Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, which would expand corporate tax credits for contributions to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program passed with no debate on a 96-18 vote.
A bill proposed by Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, revising accountability for online schools passed unanimously 112-0 despite the House carving out debate time for the measure.
School Board Reform
The bill introduced by Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, R-Miami, that would change the composition of the Miami-Dade County School Board passed 76-39 but faces a very uncertain future in the Senate.
Reform is never easy, said Logan. It would be much easier to ignore the problem at hand.
Logan attacked single-member districts, insisting that representatives in them did not see the bigger picture.
Logans measure changed the board from its current nine districts set up geographically to seven geographic districts and two at-large members.
This will make a difference for our kids, said Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, R-Hialeah Gardens. Its time to eliminate politics from our school board and let the people decide.
Our society has changed, insisted Rep. Jimmie Smith, R-Lecanto, one of the few legislators not from Miami-Dade to debate the measure. Smith pointed to minorities in elected office, including President Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla. We all know the history. Lets focus on a new history, the history we will write with this bill.
House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez Cantera of Miami attacked the single-measure districts currently in place. They have become parochial fiefdoms focused on their own districts and nothing else, he said, adding he hoped the Miami-Dade County Commission also included at-large representatives.
Democrats argued that the measure was imposing a mandate on another elected body and that the community was not behind Logans bill.
This bill calls for the restructuring of the Miami-Dade School Board, insisted Rep. Cynthia Stafford, who said the county was being targeted and that the measure would dilute African-American representation on the school board.
This bill is a step back for Miami-Dade County, added Stafford. If this is a good policy, why isnt it being applied to all 67 counties?
Stafford and Rep. Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens, attacked the proposal, insisting that there has been no support from the local community to pass the measure.
Were wasting time, said Rep. Luis Garcia, D-Miami, who insisted that the measure was heading nowhere in the Senate -- a point also brought up by Rep. Richard Steinberg, D-Miami Beach. With the measure stuck in committee in the Senate, and as the clock ticks down until adjournment on Friday, the odds appear unlikely that Logan's bill will pass this year.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
