One Florida--For All!


On November 9, 1999, Jeb Bush announced the One Florida initiative. Its mission is to unite Floridians behind a shared vision of opportunity and diversity. “Our vision of diversity has been one that does not compromise quality…” Through the Equity in Education component of the One Florida Initiative, Bush proposed to guarantee admission to one of Florida's state universities to students who are ranked in the top 20 percent of their public high school senior class and who have completed a college preparatory curriculum. One of the major positive results has shown an increase in minorities taking the Advanced Placement Exam.

However, when you visit the website it is hard to determine if this is just another political ploy for more minority votes. One would tend to doubt it since Governor Bush, who is bilingual and has a Mexican American wife, has had to withstand a lot of criticism from within his own party – especially when it comes to funding the initiative according to the Washington Post. However, facts speak for themselves and in 1998 he received 61% of the Hispanic vote and raised his share of the African American vote by 14%.

Choose or Loose – Your Child Could be “Left Behind” Hochschild and Scovronick

Don't Shoot the Horse

It would be interesting to note if History has ever had a controversy which has found staunch opponents unified for a common cause as in the debate over School Choice. Citing that school vouchers offer an escape route; Robert Reich, former secretary of labor, The Black Alliance for Education Options, The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options are found siding with President Bush along with the Institute for Justice, a libertarian think tank and law firm, on pro choice. In contrast, President Clinton, Hochschild and Scovronick, non-urbanites (the right) and republicans who don’t like vouchers and me…. find that School Choice is more of a political decision than an educational one.

Now, everyone has there grounds for their belief and desires, and I think they are all valid, if unfounded. This reform, based on benefiting the individual student is a contradiction of the very goal of the American Education system – for the good of all! I unequivocally agree “Vouchers will not be politically acceptable to the majority of Americans if they are designed to move more than small numbers of poor children into middle-class schools…” (Hochschild and Scovronick, page 123).

The voucher system was to be a feasible solution to the inequities and inadequacies of public education. Freedom of choice implies that you are free to participate in the opportunities that are presented. Public schools in wealthier districts have no room or are at capacity and only accept a “token” numbers. Private schools do not need the money nor the challenge of teaching at-risk voucher kids. In addition, charter and magnet schools have not shown significant improvements to classify them as “better” to date. In fact, the overall results of choice, has shown to be an improvement in self-esteem.

So what is the solution – looking for a solution, not a way out or escape route. We have had successful reform which was designed to fix these inequities such as the headstart program. Yes, its true our schools are failing but vouchers are not the answer…. however, some must feel the answer exists in charter, magnet, private and parochial schools, so why not incorporate what they are doing correctly. We are taking money from the school districts which can lease afford it. They will not and cannot become more competitive with less to work with. Has anyone thought this through to figure out what will happen then? I mean, what will happen will the “ghetto” schools have to close?

Limit vouchers to those who it was designed to help (the poor and disenfranchised) and they will disappear ...is not the answer either. They have only been useful for the poor in urban cities where transportation is available. I f your on a journey, in a wagon and the wheel breaks, fix the wagon – don’t shot the horse.

Tyack and Cuban – Optimism for Schools

David Tyack and Larry Cuban provide hope for the future of our schools if we can devise workable policy reforms. The fact that most Americans agree “developing the best education system in the world” (Tyack and Cuban, 2003, page 39) is extremely important to America’s future can provide the foundation necessary to put minds together to seek a solution. It is refreshing to read a history which reminds us of positive reforms such as Head Start. And we are reminded that educational reforms are political in origin. This requires a buy-in from the educators, administrators and parents. I agree with Tyack and Cuban that we need to take a closer look at the evidence for the alleged decline in public education. Then perhaps we can find a solution instead trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat by thinking high-stake testing will solve all problems, vouchers and choice will result in equal education and therefore we will all be better citizens. We have been a Nation at Risk since the 1980s, in spite of all the ideology; going from larger schools with longer days, higher cost per student to vouchers and “choice” as a solution; the battle grounds have grown instead of decreased. Special needs and interest groups have been added to the playing field and demand an equal slice of the pie.

Truly, this should be seen as a good thing, since that is what a democracy is all about. Both Tyack and Cuban and Hochschild and Scovronick agree policy reform is the solution to our educational woes. Americans agree that education is important. And, since progress in education has historically been tied to progress in Society, there is definitely room for optimism. I believe we, as Americans, will respond to the need for unity as our society continues to become more diversified.

Pinellas choosing Resegregation?

On January 25, HOWARD TROXLER of the St. Petersburg Times wrote a response article (to blaming the Pinellas County school Board for recent rise in re-segregation of schools. As previously stated, choice may work well in a racially mixed area. But in suburbia, where income separates the housing and the races, middle-class America wants their children to go to local schools (stop busing) in addition to being with their friends and neighbors which make for a community. The problem is those schools are everyone’s choice and it doesn’t matter what ground rules are laid for making “choices” many schools will suffer greatly – are should that be many children will suffer? I agree with Mr. Troxler, they should have seen this coming.

It will be interesting to see how the schools are going to solve the equal education vs. resegration issues – and I pray they do. As an adult I still have friends from the third grade, with whom I speak often. I grew up in a suburban area which was racially mixed and I believe I gained the best of both worlds. I also have a son, who has been farmed from one “good” school to another. In middle school, he had to get up early to take public transportation, to a school two cities away (about the distance from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater), a much “desired” catholic school, which cost me dearly. In any event, I feel this school-neighborhood shopping has cost him dearly in terms of bonding and longevity with people. Educationally, I don’t think it has been that beneficial, however, socially I am sure it was. Hey…… didn’t Hochschild and Scovronick speak about that in “On Democracy and Schooling?

Hochschild and Scovronick on democracy and schooling

Hochschild and Scovronick view of the relationship between democracy and schooling as the American Dream turning into a nightmare. The failure of equality in public education has resulted in an educational crisis. The evidence speaks for itself since even wealthy students do poorly in poor schools…. Yet poor students do better in more affluent schools. Although the schools were desegregated, class disparities and economic environments have resulted in “re-segregation.” Given the factor that “whites who lack other public school choices are more likely to send their children to private schools” (Hochschild and Scovronick, 2003, page 45), Florida’s voucher system would appear to at least be an attempt to providing balance. School funding and reform is definitely the place to start to provide more equal education, however, social values must also change as long as whites fear racially mixed schools. This too is progress.

Ruling for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity v State of New York or is the Jury Still Out?

After more than seven years, in June 2003, the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, ruled that the state’s system of funding public education fails to provide New York City public school students with an opportunity for a meaningful high school education as mandated by the state constitution. According to the National School Board Association, this is a victory for the children of New York because the state must implement reforms “implement reforms that ensure stable funding for these costs in each district.”

Somewhere along the lines of the twenty-one page opinion, equality of funding seems to become the solution to inadequate performance by students. Despite all of the other reasons identified such as language barriers and dysfunction homes, equal funding will probably not be the solution.

I am of the opinion that the issue is adequacy which means that some schools may need more funding then other. Therefore, when the basic guidelines were defined, the cost of implementation would have to vary… which would be contrary to the ruling. Although Judge DeGrasse outlined seven areas of resources that must be provided in order for districts to ensure a sound basic education (see CFEquity.org) it appears the jury is still out. It’s been almost 2 years but it doesn’t appear that any progress is being made. In his state-of-the-state address on January 5, 2005, Gov Pataki repeated his call for a new school aid formula for "fair funding and real reform" (See article by NewYork State United Teachers). What happened to the accountability and shouldn’t there have been a time frame put in place?


I believe that a Democracy should provide the skills and education that will enable students to become productive citizens capable of supporting themselves. The requirements of this education must then be based upon the job market and cost of living factors. That means the educational requirements would be required to change as the economic environment changes. Employability will be the true test and that too is multiple choice.

Bush v Holmes

August 2004 the Florida appeals court made a ruling that invalidated the nation's only statewide school voucher program because it subverted the state's constitutional provision that bars the government from funding "directly or indirectly … any sectarian institution." This was done in spite of the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court had already ruled that school vouchers do not violate the First Amendment and it also ruled this year that states are under no constitutional obligation to fund religious schools.

I have reviewed several stands on this matter both pro and con. The ACLU is against it stating the OSP violates the Florida Constitution which provides that: Article 1, A3 "no revenue of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution"; Article IX , A1 “which requires the state to provide a "high quality education" for the children within its borders in "a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools"; and Article IX, A6 which provides that " the income derived from the state school fund shall, and the principal of the fund may, be appropriated, but only to the support and maintenance of free public schools." ACLU also states that the OSP violates the US Constitution.


Heartland Institution, on the other hand, is for school reform voiced the concern that "Families across Florida depend on this program as the only means to save their children from chronically failing public schools…"

The list of those with a voice continues to grow and the Internet is the vehicle of choice. There are many valid organizations such as the Florida Education Association, which called the ruling "a triumph." Others pop up daily, such as
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, that hope Jeb Bush "has finally gotten the message."

I am against the school vouchers, when something is broke – you fix it, you don’t leave it faltering until it stops working all together, nor do you try to locate a substitute that doesn’t fit. Article IX, section 1 of the Florida Constitution states; “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….” I contend the state is doing nothing more then providing a back door in case High-Stake testing doesn’t work. Matter-of-fact, many parents move their children to private institutions which do not need to fall under state regulations so that they do not have to worry about their children graduating or passing the test. Next, concerning the separation of Church and State: we’ve taken prayer out of schools and want to regulate sectarian institutions by creating requirements with private institutions such as an agreement “not to compel any student attending the private school on an opportunity scholarship to profess a specific ideological belief, to pray, or to worship.” It would seem to me that the participating religious institutions have lost their mission in pursuit of the dollar… or have they?

In addition, what about the tax payers that don’t have any children in the school system? How come I can’t get my money back?