Parents of 106 children notify DOE of intent to use vouchers [FL students can thank Jeb ]

AP ^ | June 22, 2002 | AP

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Parents of 106 children notify DOE of intent to use vouchers

Saturday, June 22, 2002

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE - The parents of 106 children have notified the state of their intentions to use vouchers to go to private schools this fall, an official said Friday.

Some 8,900 students attend 10 voucher-eligible schools in four counties. Their parents have until July 1 to notify the state Department of Education that they plan to use a voucher.

Students at those schools are eligible for vouchers because the schools earned their second failing grade in four years earlier this month.

Five of the schools are in Miami-Dade County, three in Palm Beach County and one each in Orange and Escambia counties.

Forty of the 106 children now attend a failing public school in Orange County, 31 in Miami-Dade, 34 in Palm Beach and one in Escambia.

In 1999, two Pensacola elementary schools became the first and, until last week, only schools to be eligible for vouchers. Fifty-eight of their students accepted private schools vouchers, and 47 of them continue to attend a private school on a voucher.

Vouchers are equal to the amount of money that would be spent on the student in public school or the cost of tuition at the private school, whichever is less. The average annual cost of teaching a student in Florida is $5,200, but that varies widely depending on the district.

The toll-free number set up by the state is 1-800-447-1636. It will be answered from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

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Thanks for your posts on this thread! You might also enjoy reading these two recent posts, if you haven't seen them yet:

FCAT Scores Prove Progress
[Broward County editors praise Jeb on education; brutally blast Dems!]

FL newspapers finding it tougher to criticize Jeb on education

[summer]

FYI - Below are two links. I can't recall offhand if you've already seen these recent posts.

The first discusses an example of sloppy national reporting by the NYT and its bias -- and how the media promotes fallacies about Gov. Bush's voucher programs. The second link is Gov Bush's public response to the subject NYT article:

The New Math of the NYT education columnist Richard Rothstein: 2 + 1 = "2" (and not "3")

Jeb's published Letter to the NYT Editor, 6/23/02

[summer]

Theodore, Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this thread. I respectfully disagree with some of what you said, especially about student effort. It's true that some students do not put forth as much effort as they should, but I think there is a greater failure on the part of adults to motivate some students. Motivating kids can be very difficult. But, that too is part of educating and parenting. Thanks again for your comments. :)

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the result of grade inflation carried on by teachers

And, yes, there is a problem in some schools with grade inflation -- check out all the recent articles about grade inflation at Harvard! Seriously. :)

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FYI -- See posts #61, #62 and #63. :)

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Thank you for your thoughtful comments in your post #45, daviddennis.

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Oops! Betty Jane, I see now you were right the first time -- it was daviddennis who asked about the reasons for parents not taking the vouchers. My apologies to all for the confusion!

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RC, thank you so much for choosing the perfect photo for this thread! :)

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Thanks for that bump! :)

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Also see post #62. :)

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BTW, Betty Jane, thank you for mentioning Gov. Bush's program for special ed students. Here's more info for anyone lurking:

'The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows' - Part 7: Jeb's 'Other' Scholarship/ Voucher Program, to Help FL Students w/Disabilities

[Betty Jane]

I guess I need to clarify my position at the charter school. I am the parent of a student at "my" charter school as well as an employee.

Now before any of you get the idea that my job causes my bias, that's just not true. My daughter was accepted to the school, then I was asked to apply for a job.

The application was given to me after I told them I would be there often keeping an eye on them. (My distrust of schools, I admit, is a wee bit paranoid). They said if I was going to make such a pest of myself, I might as well just work there. So for the past three years I have been a part time secretary, two days a week, and a sustitute teacher as needed.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Summer I'll check out the links in the morning. Good night.

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Hey, I think that's a GREAT story!!!! Really! Thanks for sharing it. :)

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!

[goodieD]

completely debunks the idea of teaching the kids in their native language. Immersion in English is the key here, I think.

[summer]

Thank you for pointing that out here, goodieD. I agree with you! :)

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:)!

[ez2muz]

Thanks - I hadn't seen the Jeb letter.

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My pleasure. :)

[Theodore R.]

In many institutions of lower and higher learning, an instructor simply cannot keep his job if he does not engage in grade inflation. But the public hasn't a clue about such pressure to award high grades for mediocre and even failing work. It's the politicization of education. Harvard's grade inflation merely proves my point -- one can get good grades by paying sufficient tuition and fees. Harvard students are placed in the position of the institution prostituting itself to obtain the funding that the students bring forth. All the "reform" in the world won't restore basic integrity to a failing system.