No 'even playing field' for FL charters

Florida parent activist Rita Solnet did this interesting little research project.

Out of curiosity, I googled "successful charter schools" and "failing charter schools." About 20,200 results (0.22 seconds) related to "successful charter schools". About 76,600 results (0.23 seconds) related to "failing charter schools."

Rita posts on FB:

 In 8 yrs, PBC [Palm Beach County] opened up 57 charters. In 8 yrs, 23 of those charters closed. That money that was siphoned from the education coffers to the schools that closed is gone. Vanished. So, what do we do -- open up 90 more of these gems! This makes my blood boil. I don't want to be sheep. We need to tell Tallahassee that if they;re going to overturn PBC's decisions to deny charters, then they can pay for them. Where's the local control they claim to espouse.

Gaetz

Rita's right on. FL's Republican controlled Legislature is preparing to pass a charter expansion bill that would siphon millions more taxpayer dollars away from public schools and into charters. It would also take away power from county districts to reject many charter applicants for lack of quality standards. The new bill also won't require charter school teachers to be held to the same standards as regular public school teachers.

Says wing-nut State Senate Pres. Don Gaetz:

“I’ve been in business for thirty years. I’ve never asked for an even playing field,” Gaetz said. “You can’t make everything equal.”

 Gaetz has also been out front in pushing a "Parent Trigger" bill through the Legislature.