Frank Pittel <fwp.RemoveThis@warlock.deepthought.com> wrote:
>: The Florida constituion requires public education for all.
>: The fat Bush and the Republicans seek every possible
>: way to thwart the will of the Florida people.
>
>What does it say about what schools the children go to or the
>quality of the education provided?
You could always go read the laws yourself
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?submenu=-1&Tab=statutes
but I'll make it a little easier for you
what schools?
<(13) "Regular school attendance" means the actual attendance of a
< student during the school day as defined by law and rules of the
< State Board of Education. Regular attendance within the intent of s.
< 1003.21 may be achieved by attendance in:
<
<(a) A public school supported by public funds;
<
<(b) A parochial, religious, or denominational school;
<
<(c) A private school supported in whole or in part by tuition charges or by endowments or gifts;
<
<(d) A home education program that meets the requirements of chapter 1002; or
<
<(e) A private tutoring program that meets the requirements of chapter 1002.
There are NO provisions requiring any sort of educational quality in
options b or c. Private tutoring needs only report attendance and be
taught by teachers who are certificated in the subjects that they
teach.
Home education abides by parent selected standards of quality:
<(c) The parent shall provide for an annual educational evaluation in
< which is documented the student's demonstration of educational
< progress at a level commensurate with her or his ability. The parent
< shall select the method of evaluation and shall file a copy of the
< evaluation annually with the district school superintendent's office
< in the county in which the student resides. The annual educational
< evaluation shall consist of one of the following:
<
<1. A teacher selected by the parent shall evaluate the student's
< educational progress upon review of the portfolio and discussion with
< the student. Such teacher shall hold a valid regular Florida
< certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary
< level;
<
<2. The student shall take any nationally normed student achievement
< test administered by a certified teacher;
<
<3. The student shall take a state student assessment test used by the
< school district and administered by a certified teacher, at a
< location and under testing conditions approved by the school
< district;
<
<4. The student shall be evaluated by an individual holding a valid,
< active license pursuant to the provisions of s. 490.003(7) or (
; or
<
<5. The student shall be evaluated with any other valid measurement
< tool as mutually agreed upon by the district school superintendent of
< the district in which the student resides and the student's parent.
Only public schools have any real sort of "quality" defined by law.
"free public schools".
>>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
Here's the larger context.
<SECTION 1. Public education.--
<
<(a) 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 schools 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.
<
<(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided by the
< State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunity in the
< form of an early childhood development and education program which
< shall be voluntary, high quality, free, and delivered according to
< professionally accepted standards. An early childhood development and
< education program means an organized program designed to address and
< enhance each child's ability to make age appropriate progress in an
< appropriate range of settings in the development of language and
< cognitive capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral
< capacities through education in basic skills and such other skills as
< the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
<
<(c) The early childhood education and development programs provided
< by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no later than the
< beginning of the 2005 school year through funds generated in addition
< to those used for existing education, health, and development
< programs. Existing education, health, and development programs are
< those funded by the State as of January 1, 2002 that provided for
< child or adult education, health care, or development.
<SECTION 2. State board of education.--The state board of education
< shall be a body corporate and have such supervision of the system of
< free public education as is provided by law. The state board of
< education shall consist of seven members appointed by the governor to
< staggered 4-year terms, subject to confirmation by the senate. The
< state board of education shall appoint the commissioner of education.
....
<SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.--
<
<(a) Each county shall constitute a school district; provided, two or
< more contiguous counties, upon vote of the electors of each county
< pursuant to law, may be combined into one school district. In each
< school district there shall be a school board composed of five or
< more members chosen by vote of the electors in a nonpartisan election
< for appropriately staggered terms of four years, as provided by law.
<
<(b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise all free
< public schools within the school district and determine the rate of
< school district taxes within the limits prescribed herein. Two or
< more school districts may operate and finance joint educational
< programs.
....
<SECTION 6. State school fund.--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.
No mention of private schools. No mention of applying state funds to
anything BUT free public schools, and indeed alternatives are
explicitly excluded.
"Quality education" is not defined in the constitution other than in
terms of class size. One must turn to the statutes to find more.
The closest they come to defining "quality education" is by defining
the accountability standards that schools must work towards:
1008.31
<(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt guiding principles for
< establishing state and sector-specific standards and measures.
<
<(c) The State Board of Education shall maintain an accountability
< system that measures student progress toward the following goals:
<
<1. Highest student achievement, as measured by: student FCAT
< performance and annual learning gains; the number and percentage of
< schools that improve at least one school performance grade
< designation or maintain a school performance grade designation of "A"
< pursuant to s. 1008.34; graduation or completion rates at all
< learning levels; and other measures identified in law or rule.
<
<2. Seamless articulation and maximum access, as measured by: the
< percentage of students who demonstrate readiness for the educational
< level they are entering, from kindergarten through postsecondary
< education and into the workforce; the number and percentage of
< students needing remediation; the percentage of Floridians who
< complete associate, baccalaureate, graduate, professional, and
< postgraduate degrees; the number and percentage of credits that
< articulate; the extent to which each set of exit-point requirements
< matches the next set of entrance-point requirements; the degree to
< which underserved populations access educational opportunity; the
< extent to which access is provided through innovative educational
< delivery strategies; and other measures identified in law or rule.
<
<3. Skilled workforce and economic development, as measured by: the
< number and percentage of graduates employed in their areas of
< preparation; the percentage of Floridians with high school diplomas
< and postsecondary education credentials; the percentage of business
< and community members who find that Florida's graduates possess the
< skills they need; national rankings; and other measures identified in
< law or rule.
<
<4. Quality efficient services, as measured by: cost per completer or
< graduate; average cost per noncompleter at each educational level;
< cost disparity across institutions offering the same degrees; the
< percentage of education customers at each educational level who are
< satisfied with the education provided; and other measures identified
< in law or rule.
And these appear to be the laws most directly identifying the content
of "quality education", though the numerous other laws provide
additional requirements at least indirectly.
<1003.41 Sunshine State Standards.--Public K-12 educational
< instruction in Florida is based on the "Sunshine State Standards."
< These standards have been adopted by the State Board of Education and
< delineate the academic achievement of students, for which the state
< will hold schools accountable, in grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 in
< the subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies,
< the arts, health and physical education, and foreign languages. They
< include standards in reading, writing, history, government,
< geography, economics, and computer literacy.
<1003.42 Required instruction.--
<
<(1) Each district school board shall provide all courses required for
< high school graduation and appropriate instruction designed to ensure
< that students meet State Board of Education adopted standards in the
< following subject areas: reading and other language arts,
< mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, health and
< physical education, and the arts.
<
<(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public schools, subject
< to the rules of the State Board of Education and the district school
< board, shall teach efficiently and faithfully, using the books and
< materials required, following the prescribed courses of study, and
< employing approved methods of instruction, the following:
<
<(a) The content of the Declaration of Independence and how it forms
< the philosophical foundation of our government.
<
<(b) The arguments in support of adopting our republican form of
< government, as they are embodied in the most important of the
< Federalist Papers.
<
<(c) The essentials of the United States Constitution and how it
< provides the structure of our government.
<
<(d) Flag education, including proper flag display and flag salute.
<
<(e) The elements of civil government, including the primary functions
< of and interrelationships between the Federal Government, the state,
< and its counties, municipalities, school districts, and special
< districts.
<
<(f) The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the systematic, planned
< annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, a
< watershed event in the history of humanity, to be taught in a manner
< that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of
< the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
< examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful
< person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a
< pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic
< values and institutions.
<
<(g) The history of African Americans, including the history of
< African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the
< development of slavery, the passage to America, the enslavement
< experience, abolition, and the contributions of African Americans to
< society.
<
<(h) The elementary principles of agriculture.
<
<(i) The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating liquors and
< beverages and narcotics upon the human body and mind.
<
<(j) Kindness to animals.
<
<(k) The history of the state.
<
<(l) The conservation of natural resources.
<
<(m) Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts of
< community health; consumer health; environmental health; family life,
< including an awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the
< expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy; mental
< and emotional health; injury prevention and safety; nutrition;
< personal health; prevention and control of disease; and substance use
< and abuse.
<
<(n) Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or fields in such
< grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of the State Board of
< Education and the district school board in fulfilling the
< requirements of law.
<
<(o) The study of Hispanic contributions to the United States.
<
<(p) The study of women's contributions to the United States.
<
<(q) A character-development program in the elementary schools,
< similar to Character First or Character Counts, which is secular in
< nature and stresses such character qualities as attentiveness,
< patience, and initiative. Beginning in school year 2004-2005, the
< character-development program shall be required in kindergarten
< through grade 12. Each district school board shall develop or adopt a
< curriculum for the character-development program that shall be
< submitted to the department for approval. The character-development
< curriculum shall stress the qualities of patriotism, responsibility,
< citizenship, kindness, respect, honesty, self-control, tolerance, and
< cooperation.
<
<(r) In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices that veterans
< have made in serving our country and protecting democratic values
< worldwide. Such instruction must occur on or before Veterans' Day and
< Memorial Day. Members of the instructional staff are encouraged to
< use the assistance of local veterans when practicable.
<
<(3) Any student whose parent makes written request to the school
< principal shall be exempted from the teaching of reproductive health
< or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, its symptoms, development, and
< treatment. A student so exempted may not be penalized by reason of
< that exemption. Course descriptions for comprehensive health
< education shall not interfere with the local determination of
< appropriate curriculum which reflects local values and concerns.
and from a different section:
<5) RIGOROUS READING REQUIREMENT.--
<
<(a) Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, each public school
< serving middle grade students, including charter schools, with fewer
< than 75 percent of its students reading at or above grade level in
< grade 6, grade 7, or grade 8 as measured by a student scoring at
< Level 3 or above on the FCAT during the prior school year, must
< incorporate by October 1 a rigorous reading requirement for reading
< and language arts programs as the primary component of its school
< improvement plan. The department shall annually provide to each
< district school board by June 30 a list of its schools that are
< required to incorporate a rigorous reading requirement as the primary
< component of the school's improvement plan. The department shall
< provide technical assistance to school districts and school
< administrators required to implement the rigorous reading
< requirement.
<
<(b) The purpose of the rigorous reading requirement is to assist each
< student who is not reading at or above grade level to do so before
< entering high school. The rigorous reading requirement must include
< for a middle school's low-performing student population specific
< areas that address phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
< comprehension, and vocabulary; the desired levels of performance in
< those areas; and the instructional and support services to be
< provided to meet the desired levels of performance. The school shall
< use research-based reading activities that have been shown to be
< successful in teaching reading to low-performing students.
lojbab
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