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Protesters Demand School Voucher Lawsuit Be Dropped
January 20, 2016
Calling on God and the memory of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., thousands of protesters descended Tuesday on Tallahassee to demand that opponents of the state’s de facto school-voucher program drop a lawsuit challenging the survival of the system.
Based on head counts from buses and school groups that attended the rally, organizers said that more than 10,500 people gathered on the crisp winter morning. Protesters jammed the street between the Capitol and the Florida Supreme Court and trickled over into a plaza outside the Capitol.
Speakers who backed the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program — mostly African-Americans and Latinos — laced into the state’s largest teachers union, the Florida Education Association, for a legal attack on the system. The program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for low-income children to attend private schools.
“In the name of the Lord, drop the suit,” demanded the Rev. R.B. Holmes, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee. “In the name of the Holy Spirit, drop the suit.”
The star attraction to the rally was Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader whose birthday was marked by the nation on Monday.
“My dad — I don’t know if I can aptly speak to what he would say today,” King said. “But what I can say is, I know that he always stood up for justice, and this is an issue of justice.”
The union’s lawsuit, filed in 2014, argues that the voucher program violates the Legislature’s responsibility to provide every student with a quality education. Opponents say the system siphons away money that could be used for public schools, though voucher supporters note that the scholarships actually provide less per student than it costs to educate a child in public schools.
The challenge also draws on a 2006 ruling from the Florida Supreme Court that struck down the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program — a purer version of a voucher system, using public money directly to fund private education for some students.
The lawsuit targeting the Tax Credit Scholarship Program was dismissed last year by a Leon County judge, who said the union didn’t have standing to challenge the program, but voucher opponents have appealed the case to the 1st District Court of Appeal.
In the wake of the challenge, groups that support the voucher system have begun emphasizing the benefits of the program to low-income students, though lawmakers approved legislation in 2014 that would allow for a family of four earning up to $63,050 to be eligible for at least a partial scholarship in the 2016-17 school year.
“I wonder truly how anybody could be against these scholarships,” said Julio Fuentes, head of the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options. “These scholarships are helping low-income children. They are helping minority children. How did that become such a bad thing?”
In a statement issued Tuesday, Florida Education Association President Joanne McCall said the organization didn’t intend to back down.
“For more than a year, voucher groups have been demanding FEA drop a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the tax-credit vouchers. What are they so afraid of going to the courts to ensure this voucher scheme is legal?” McCall said. “Let’s let the courts decide this once and for all. We’re not dropping our legal challenge.”
McCall’s group staged its own rally last week, drawing about 2,000 teachers and other public-school employees to the Capitol to call on lawmakers to place more emphasis on classroom learning and less focus on standardized tests.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Comments
9 Responses to “Protesters Demand School Voucher Lawsuit Be Dropped”
“The power to tax is the power to destroy,” John Marshall for the unanimous Supreme Court, McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819.
The Florida legislature has the power to tax.
Whether they tax wisely or foolishly is often up to debate. Their power to tax can be used not just to raise funds for public purposes, but to force people to do things they might not do otherwise or to not do things they WOULD do otherwise (like not buying a $20 pack of cigarettes when they WOULD have bought a $1 pack.)
In this case, they are using the power to tax the same way Congress used it to legalize The Affordable Care Act, by not taxing those who obey/comply.
The question should be if the public school students are getting a quality education.
Don’t say, “I could educate them if….”
That means they are not.
(I think they are, but could be wrong.)
Their tests indicate some aren’t, but Florida keeps moving the goal posts, so who knows?
Also remember, sometimes the teacher teaches but some students can not learn or will not learn, nor can they teach children who aren’t there.
Use existing nationally trusted standardized tests to see if they are being educated, not tests you change every so often because you don‘t even know what “quality education“ means.
Test the voucher students too as part of the voucher.
If they are, rejoice.
If they are not, require the money be refunded to the state.
Anything beyond that is simply wanting the money to go elsewhere,
in this case to the members of my union,
rather than caring about the children.
David for better education
My wife and I had to work so we Gould put food on the table, We have four kids and they had to go to public school and all four finish. with out help. so watts wrong with public schools just because its a F rated school. dose not mean they get free school. If so All kids should get it to. So closed down all public school and give then vouchers
You can reason it out all you want, & say public school is no longer good enough, but the fact remains that the majority will go to public school. Your fears of leftism make it sound like you think your kids will be brainwashed, which is nonsense.
The people with money can pay to have their kids in private school, the rest of us go to public school, which is good enough, case closed. Anything else is SOCIALISM!
I know this a hard pill for you wishful thinkers, but it is what it is. Let’s face it, there is a small percentage of kids that will benefit from private school, & a big majority that it would sail right by the heads of.
The third paragraph states that the program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for low income families to send their children to private schools. Sounds great to the untrained ear. First this program does take funds away from the general education fund because of the tax credits and that is not good for public education. Low income families whose children attend public school deserve as good an education as well off students who attend public schools. Picking winners or hopefully winners from a small percent of low income families to attend a private school on the publics dime in itself is awful. I have nothing against private schools and there are plenty that are outstanding and above reproach. What I have a problem with is my tax money that is taken without my consent and enforced with the power of the law being spent on private school education that I have no say so in. Private schools can teach anything they wish in any way they wish to teach it. My hands are tied and I have no voice or vote as to what the private schools use MY money. That is my beef with the voucher plan. What should be done in Florida is for the amount of funds spent on education equal the amount needed to bring the quality up to the highest standers in the country. Also local control should be of highest importance and the legislature should be as far away from making mandates on teachers and students as humanly possible. What students learn should come from parents, teachers, and local school boards.
As a public servant of some type or the other, mostly as a teacher, for the past 33 years, I can say that I see value in the public schools and I also see value in the voucher program. Educational reform is under way as we speak, and I foresee that common core may be adjusted if not altogether removed. It’s even used to instruct GED students, and I jokingly say that we now have 8 steps instead of four to solve the problem, although that is not always the case. Sometimes the cc way makes more sense than the old way. Voucher systems were originally put in place to allow minorities and lower income families to send their children to private schools if they so desired AND they qualified for the program. I see nothing wrong with that as this is something they were denied before due to cost. I am relatively conservative, but I see the value in allowing ALL to benefit from the American system of education – be it home schooled, publicly schooled or privately schooled. My children and step children were both publicly educated and home schooled and all four of them are either in college or working a fulltime job. It can and does work with the proper motivation. All parents who care about their children want the best for them – the voucher system allows that, to an extent. I think we should keep it, even if the ways and means are modified.
@John: Sir, can you please provide evidence for the claims you make? Are you saying Common Core is socialist, or public schools are socialist? Where does Common Core say that 4 X 3 = 11 is okay? Or is this just something you’ve heard? And you could put 6 gallons of gas in a 5 gallon container, if the gas you’re talking about is first compressed. Finally, any evidence you have that God has turned his back on America would be appreciated. Does this mean that all these good people who pray for every accident victim are wasting their time? Evidence and reason > rhetoric.
Public schools are not what they once were, Mike. Chances are it is very different from when you and I went to school. Research common core and ask questions to school admins if they are implementing it in our area. I have respect for Mr. Malcolm Thomas, and I believe he’s a good man, but even he can’t stop the flood of leftism that is so pervasive in our school system. My kids will be home schooled. I had wanted to have them attend Jim Allen; they would be the fourth generation to do so in my family. But sadly, I can’t trust the system with my kid’s education anymore. My wife and I have made the financial sacrifices for her to be able to stay home with the children and make this happen. Your children are your greatest investment, and we have determined to live that out. If more folks would do the same, we might see some positive changes in our land.
Public school was good enough for the rest of us, why should any one group get special treatment? Shut it down.
It’s sad that children are caught in the middle of this. First, I can’t blame any parent for pulling their child out of the socialist progressive common core public school system, for crying out loud they believe 4X3=11 if you give a good reason for it, or you can put 6 gallons of gas in a 5 gallon can if you have a reason to let it flow on the ground, this is where America is at people! but the ultimate problem is the Department of Education. And second I would be careful invoking the name of God, because he has already turned his back on America and I personally believe he has already (invoked) his rigbteous judgement process.