Ideas from FREEPers NEEDED: How can Florida pay for this expensive Class Size Amendment? (HELP!)

FREEPers everywhere ^

[Recovering_Democrat]

AMENDMENT 9

ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1

Section 1. Public Education.-

The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require. To assure that children attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:

1. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;

2. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and

3. The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.

The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with reducing class size to meet these requirements is the responsibility of the state and not of local school districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of students in each classroom by at least two students per year until the maximum number of students per classroom does not exceed the requirements of this subsection.

[PaxMacian]

No problem, just divide all the existing rooms in half making two rooms then squeeze in a few more kids into each.

[arthurus]

The State government needs to throw great resources into promotion of homeschooling and vouchers. This ammendment seems designed to reduce the average quality of teachers
in the system. The system must take a larger portion of the available graduates and that means reaching lower on the GPA. Ultimately when class sizes are reduced to a one-to-one ratio NEA will have actual dictatorial political power.

[Dianna]

Didn't Jeb say outright, before the election, that if this amendment was voted in that he would HAVE to raise taxes?

Seems to me that "the people" have gotten exactly what they asked for.

[RicocheT]

Have public school kids and teachers go out and sell candy and pizza door to door just as parochial school parents and kids now do. Share the pain!

[jbg]

Read the amendment carefully. It requires classrooms, and limits the number of students assigned to a teacher, but it does not actually require teachers for all of those classrooms. So they can fire the teachers, and use the money saved to pay for building the classrooms.

[SGCOS]

$.10 tax on every 3 oz. tube of Jointritis

[RandyRep]

Can you give us more information? How many students are there in Florida schools? What is the current Florida state budget?

This appears to mandate a 50% increase (approximately) in classrooms and teachers by 2010, with interim reductions to get there.

Some things that could be done:

1) Short term - portable classrooms or re-dividing existing classrooms is the only answer. Put 3 classes in 2 classrooms somehow.

2) Long term - pass a big bond issue to build the classrooms and provide college scholarships for student teachers.

3) Have a real debate if the people want to raise taxes or cut expenses. If the former, which taxes - sales, property, income? If the latter, which expenses - welfare, healthcare, etc. In the end - put the choices on the ballot and MAKE THEM CHOOSE!

4) Reduce the number of students in public school - reduce the minimum compulsory attendance age to 14.

5) Put requirements on continued public school attendance - good behavior, doing homework, high test scores, etc. Penalize (with fines, etc) parents of kids who are disruptive or non-learners (kind of reverse vouchers!).

[yoswif]

An excise tax on advertising.

[Libloather]

Tax abortions...

[WestPoint90]

I really like your #3. I was also wondering if they could change the rules about the lottery here. We supposedly give a ton of $$ from the lottery to 'education'. I know alot of it is legit and goes to scholarships. I think that we could do a great service for education by amending those rules and allowing $ to go towards building schools.
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[Amore]

Hey, summer, wanted to ask you about this, but also wanted to let you bask in the glow of your victory for a while! :- )

Everyone I know is hopping mad about this. What I'd like to see is a movement to reconsider this matter. Could something be put on the ballot in 2 years?

Unfortunately, we only just now simultaneously passed the amendment requiring a pricing of such proposed changes -- before they are voted upon. This is exactly the sort of thing that should have been done on this school amendment. Granted, it was central to Jeb's argument and helped him to point out McBride's shortcomings and vague ideas, but there's still lots of stupid, uninformed people out there, who probably were totally unaware of the enormous cost. Those pinheads apparently said, "hey, sounds good to me, I vote yes!" This proposal sounds GOOD to ALL of US, but we can also add 2 + 22 billion, or so.

And what's the deal with solid "yes" votes across the line on all amendments? These votes were just insane!!!

[mysonsfuture]

I say ignore the Da#m thing. Put it off and then vote to recsind it in '04 when the voters will have to be told how much it will really cost.

[realpatriot71]

tax cigarettes

[dalereed]

Add a tax per child that attends public "schools", the exodus to private and home school should solve the problem immediatly.

[bert]

Annex the Bahamas

[A CA Guy]

In CA we just passed that Arnold bill that will tax new home improvements 3%. I don't know if that is once or on the property taxes yearly!!!

Be assured, they will declare some way for YOU to part with your hard earned wages.

The dirty little secret is that class size has nothing much to do with education, all that does is grow union teachers.
The fact is that the cause of the problem is in these childrens home. The parents don't do what is needed so their children come to school prepared.

[rmlew]

Insitute a Poll tax. Have all Floridians pay the exact same amount in a new tax. This will teach those leftists and mendicants.

[Jonathon Spectre]

Legalize and tax marijuana. $22 billion would be chump change.

[NYTexan]

"just divide all the existing rooms in half"

Actually you are on track.
The simple thing to do is go to split sessions.
Devide the class in half, teach intensively for 1/2 day each, then herd them into the cafeteria, gym, outside, whatever for study hall / reading assignments, lunch, and gym.

Bingo: not much more added expense!