FR EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Jeb Bush answers the question -- "Do FL voucher students take state tests?"

Email from Gov Bush to summer | July 8, 2002 | Jeb Bush; summer

[summer]

Thanks, Gov. Bush.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Jeb Bush
To: [summer]
Date: Monday, July 08, 2002 2:45 PM
Subject: RE: quick question

Opportunity scholarship students must take the FCAT grades 3-10. The information on the test goes only to the parent and is not published. Private schools are not graded. The majority of students in private school are using the McKay scholarship. They don't have to take the test. The corporate tax credit students don't have to take the test either.

Jeb Bush

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-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 2:18 PM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject: quick question

Vouchers and Government Control

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Gov. Bush,

A certain voucher question comes up repeatedly on FR.

I tried to answer it to the best of my knowledge on my post #40 on the thread above. Was I correct?

Briefly -- FR posters against vouchers keep claiming the FL voucher students are currently "required" to take all state assessments. But, I say, NO.

Who is correct?

Thanks,
[summer]

[summer]

FYI.

[MeekOneGOP]

Exclusive Bush bump!

[summer]

Yes, a big BTTT to Gov Bush, education and FR! :)

[Illbay]

Sorry, but you fail to understand why they are complaining. Just telling them the truth won't do it. If it don't fit that big ol' "Agenda Template," it'll just be ignored.

[summer]

LOL... :)

[Bahbah]

Good work, summer.

[summer]

capecodder, A couple of points here need to be made, in light of this info from Gov. Bush.

First, I think we can now agree that BOTH letters Gov Bush wrote, to USA Today in 1999, and to the NYT in 2002, were accurate. He did not change his position -- he kept the A+ plan as he originally proposed (WITH the assessments) and he kept the other two voucher programs as I thought (withOUT the assessments).

[summer]

Thanks so much for your post and for bumping this thread, Bahbah. This has been a confusing issue here on FR! :)

[summer]

And, second, I think you have to restate the question which keeps popping up with vouchers and federal money.

Before this email from Gov. Bush, the question was:

Will federal money for vouchers result in mandatory testing in private schools, and therreby change the nature of private schools?

But, now, I think a more accurate question may be this:

Will federal money for vouchers result in mandatory testing of some students in private schools -- and, does this necessarily change the nature of private schools?

Because the way it is implemented in FL, I think the answer is NO. Private schools are still private schools -- not all students are required to be tested; the scores are for the parents' use (not for the purpose of being published as public info), and, the private schools are NOT graded (like the public schools).

[Joe Brower]

If Jeb is nothing else, he's the genuine article, which is why I like him as governor (even without considering the alternatives!), and am working hard to ensure his reelection this year.

As for vouchers, as we've previously discussed, they do not benefit me directly in any way. I like them, though, since they monkey-wrench the existing system to a fair degree and have the potential to burst the dam for education choices even further, not to mention make the NEA and it's denizens sweat blood.

[ez2muz]

Thanks for the PING!

Good job.

BTTT

[summer]

Thanks so much for your post here, Joe. And, I agree, the people of FL could not possibly elect a better person in this year's gov race.

[summer]

Thanks for bumping this thread, ez2muz! :)

[summer]

Larry, See my post #29. Before I get clobbered by capecodder, did I make any sense to you at least? :)

(No offense, capecodder - I am still batting over .500, since 2 of the 3 voucher programs do NOT test!)

[summer]

therreby = thereby

[codder too]

I will watch for the results of your research re: the reason ONLY Opportunity students take the test.

[summer]

LOL....well, of course, that answer will only come if I happen to get very lucky and again catch Gov. Bush on his computer like I must have done today! :)!

[summer]

But, I will ping you if the stars should all align in my favor... :)

[summer]

Our tax dollars at WORK! :)

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!