Supporters of a bill commonly dubbed "parent-trigger" are defending their proposed Florida legislation against what they say are several myths and misconceptions peddled by teachers' unions and other liberal activists. For starters: it isn't really a parent-trigger bill.
What the bill does is give parents of kids at failing schools a seat at the table so they can help make a recommendation to the school board on how the school board should intervene with that failing school, Patricia Levesque, executive director for the Foundation for Florida's Future, told reporters of the proposed Parent Empowerment Act at a Tuesday morning press conference. Thats what the bill is about: empowering parents, give them a seat at the table, let them have a say in the interventions that are done at their childs school.
[Check out the complete list of Parent Empowerment Myths, addressed by the Foundation for Florida's Future and attached to this article.]
Levesque, Gov. Jeb Bush's former deputy chief of staff for education, explained that the Act HB 867 and SB 862 is not a true parent-trigger, such as that enshrined in a (Democrat-drafted, sponsored, and carried) 2010 California law. In that state, when at least half of parents of children attending a public school make one of four possible reform petitions, the school board must implement the recommendation, which may include converting the school into a charter.
Instead, the Florida proposal simply provides parents a legal place at the table, requiring school boards to consider parents' petitions and providing a process through which parents can appeal rejection of their petition to the state board of education.
Very simply: if 50 percent plus one of the parents in the school want to do something in particular to their child's school, we think that's a great thing, Levesque said. We think that's what school board should be looking at, seeking out that advice and input of their parents.
Under current federal and Florida law, once a school receives a failing grade from the Florida Department of Education, the school board must adopt any of four possible turnaround measures, one of which is conversion to a charter. If the school receives another failing grade, that plan must be implemented. The Parent Empowerment Act gives parents the ability to propose their own alternative and have it be considered by the school board.
This formalizes the process, so that parents have a legal place at the table, Levesque continued. Even if this bill weren't somehow going to become law, it seems like it's just good practice for the school boards to open things up, inviting parents in, explaining what all the options are, and getting parental input to the decision.
Levesque was joined by Patrick DeTemple, organizing director of Parent Revolution (which spearheaded the California parent-trigger), and Nikki Lowrey, Florida state director of StudentsFirst (the political lobbying organization founded by public school reform advocate Michelle Rhee), who participated in the press conference via speaker phone.
Levesque suggested that one possible benefit of the Empowerment Act would be allowing parents to leverage their new petition power in order to spur reforms without having to carry through with the filing of a petition.
There were numerous cases [in California] where the petitions were never filed by the parents because they ended up getting what they wanted, Levesque said, referring to demands for computer labs, more after-school tutoring, and more assistance for students learning to speak English. Thats how I see the policy working in the state of Florida.
Jeff Wright, direct of public policy advocacy for the Florida Education Association, remained unconvinced.
Why are we flying in an executive director of Parent Revolution from California to talk about Florida schools and parents in Florida and what they need; how in the hell does he know what parents in this state need? he asked reporters after the press conference. Let the parents here have this conversation, and that's not what they're doing.
Wright complained the bill was about continuing the Jeb Bush legacy of education reform, and that if proponents really wanted parents to have a say in their schools, they would provide legal avenues for their voice to be heard before school districts were required to propose turnaround measures, though he did not offer reporters specific alternatives.
The Act is being sponsored by Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami; Rep. Michael Bileca, R-Miami; and Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at (954) 235-9116.
