Florida charter schools gain resources as public schools lose them.

[madfloridian]

The whole education mess in Florida is out of control now. It should be the other way around. Public schools should be well-funded as more is demanded of them. The state should not be giving charter schools more money while requiring less of them.

This is a long article about a Florida high school that is considering becoming a charter. It's a good read, but there are a few short paragraphs that tell the whole story of how quickly the public schools are being dismantled in this state.

I call it chaos.

The three paragraphs that tell it all:

Group Seeks to Make LHS Charter School

Conversations about the change began in April, according to Tracy Collins, LHS's principal. Collins said Friday morning some of the reasons for the charter status include:

Academic freedom for the teachers;

State financial benefits that charter status provides;

Elimination of zoning issues for the athletic programs at the school.

Academic freedom for the teachers...I have a few things to say about that. For years now teachers in public schools have been forced into scripted teaching, lesson planning that must be perfect and follow every detail of some ever-changing philosophy. It has been a forced change, one that many teachers are just now beginning to understand may have a larger purpose....forced failure.

And get this...now they want to give teachers "academic freedom" by turning schools into charter schools so they don't have to follow the rules that have become so unbending.

And will all that "freedom" mean that older teachers will be laid off by the charter managers who perhaps do not respect the union and tenure?

State financial benefits that charter status provides.

That is quite true. Florida's Rick Scott Republicans have changed the laws so much that it is more profitable to be a charter than to be a traditional public school.

Charters get $55 million for upkeep, other schools get zero

Traditional public schools in Florida will get no money from the state this year for additions or needed repairs to thousands of aging buildings, but charter schools will score big.

All of the state cash budgeted for school construction and maintenance is going to the independent, tax-financed charters favored by the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov.Rick Scott.

The charter school operated for children of employees of The Villages, the Republican stronghold in north Lake County frequented by Scott and former President George W. Bush, is expected to receive about $1 million.

School district officials across Florida are bemoaning the Legislature's decision to cut traditional public schools out of PECO — the Public Education Capital Outlay program. The state's 350 charter schools will share $55 million, while the approximately 3,000 traditional schools will go without.

Not just the 55 million for upkeep and construction, there is more. Thirty million dollars will go toward making it easier to expand charter schools in the state. Part of that is Race to the Top money.

The 3rd reason given:

Elimination of zoning issues for the athletic programs at the school.

At least they put that one in third place.