Q&A: Why Florida's 'A+' voucher plan gets an 'F'

NEA Today, Nov 1999

Educators in Florida are dealing with the aftermath E of a fierce storm that rolled through the Sunshine State last spring.

That storm-the "A " voucher plan pushed through the state legislature by Governor leb Bushwent into effect this school year.

Beginning in September, students in public schools that receive failing grades from the state can receive vouchers for private school tuition.

Michelle Dennard, the vice president of the Pinellas County Classroom Teachers Association. spoke to NEA Today about why the new "A " plan gets an "F" from educators.

First of all, it's taking money away from public schools that are the neediest Instead of helping schools that need help the most, this plan punishes them for not meeting the state standard.

There are more effective ways to help schools than taking away their resources. The Governor calls it grading, I call it degrading. And the law is filled with holes when it comes to the accountability of private schools.

Funds are being diverted from public schools to private institutions that are not held to the same standards that public schools must meet.

To receive voucher money, a private school only has to show it's fiscally sound. The law says nothing about how academically sound a private school has to be.

As educators we strongly believe in assessment. We assess all the time in our classrooms. But assessment should be ongoing. We assess student learning by evaluating students at the beginning, middle, and end. And we adjust instruction to help them meet their targets.

But this state assessment is a one-time deal. Based on a given test on a given day, schools will be judged as successful or failing. This A plan has no input from educators at all.

Given the chance to be part of the process, we could all work together on behalf of kidsinstead of having something imposed on us. ,