Thread by @FloridaEA

After yesterday's abrupt postponement of #SB7070, we anticipate that it will be taken up during today's Senate session which just began.

We'll be monitoring the session and will keep you updated when #SB7070 is heard.

As always you can watch here, thefloridachannel.org

It's time. The Senate is taking up #SB7070 and picking up where they left off yesterday with amendments. The first amendment deals with expanding charter schools through "opportunity zones."

Sen. @FarmerForFLSen offered an amendment to the amendment which would ensure that any unspent funds from the "Schools of Hope" program would be allocated to public schools.

Sen. Farmer's proposed amendment to the amendment failed, and the main amendment passes as originally proposed.

So now #SB7070 is not just a massive expansion of vouchers but also for charter schools via "Schools of Hope."

Sen. @rbracy30 introduced an amendment which would require a student and parent/guardian to meet with a private school's principal to review policies before enrollment. With little debate the amendment passed.

For background, the @rbracy30 amendment was to help prevent situations like the one in the article.

To be clear, voucher schools can still discriminate; this amendment just makes sure they inform parents up front of their discriminatory practices washingtonpost.com/news/education…

The next amendment, from @BillMontford, would help to secure funding for facility construction for districts impacted by last year's hurricane damage.

With no debate, the amendment passed.

The next amendment, from Sen. @FarmerForFLSen, deals with "bad actors" to ensure that if charter with a history of problems isn't allowed to reopen.

The substance of this amendment is included in another bill, and Sen. @FarmerForFLSen agreed to withdraw his amendment after assurances the "Bad Actors" bill was still being negotiated.

That brings us to the end of amendments. Now it is time for questioning. First up is Sen. @SenatorThurston who is asking if the new "Empowerment" voucher is a new funding source.

Sen. Diaz responds that it is not a new funding source b/c the MacKay voucher has been funded this way in the past. Sen. @SenatorThurston points out that MacKay scholarship is for students w/special needs.

To which Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr responds the "special needs" of the students who would qualify for the Empowerment voucher is that their parent can't afford a private school.

Sen. @SenatorThurston, follows up by asking, "Why are we increasing the voucher to families with incomes in excess of $77,000/year?"

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr responds a family of 4 making $77,000 a year is "not making it."

To put it another way, Sen. Diaz said a family of two beginning teachers w/two children is "not making it" b/c their salaries are so low.

Sen. @SenatorThurston continues his questioning, asks Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr, "How many schools are in opportunity zones?"

Sen. Diaz: 🤷‍♂️

Here's some help for Sen. Diaz

Continuing his questioning, Sen. @SenatorThurston has a series of question for Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr regarding the ability of School of Hope funds to be used for leases.

Sen. @SenatorThurston's next series of questions relate to the administrative fees collected by Voucher Funding Organizations (like Step up For Students).

When Sen. Diaz says he doesn't know how much Step Up For Students collects in administrative fees, Sen. @SenatorThurston asks, "is it in the range of $4.5-5 million?"

Sen Diaz: 🤷‍♂️

What we do know from Step up For Students most recent 990 filing with the IRS is that their revenue for the 2017-18 fiscal year was more than $33 million and their net assets are over $500,000,000

Sen. @SenatorThurston having finished with his question, now Sen. @KevinRader is asking about the changes to Best and Brightest.

You can read about those changes here: ttps://feaactioncenter.org/frontline/best-and-brightest-changes/

Most importantly, the changes to Best and Brightest still exclude many educators including pre-kindergarten teachers, instructional personnel other than teachers, and eduction staff professionals.

* corrected link from previous tweet:
feaactioncenter.org/frontline/best…

Sen. @KevinRader asks an important question--How is determined who is a "content expert" for the recruitment bonus for Best and Brightest.

Diaz: I can't teach physics. (which, of course, didn't answer the question that was asked).

Sen. @KevinRader continuing his questioning on the changes to Best and Brightest: "Last year there 82,790 teachers who earned the bonus, do you know how many would qualify with the new plans?

Diaz: We can't really know b/c principals get to choose who gets the recognition bonus.

Sen. @VicTorres_FL is now asking a series of questions related to teacher certification.

Sen. Diaz explains that there are provisions to help make sure districts don't lose "good teachers" simply b/c they can't pass the general knowledge test.

Sen. @VicTorres_FL asks about the changes to the fees for the certification fees.

Sen. Diaz explains that this bill codifies what the State Board of Education did with regards to lowering fees for retakes.

Sen. @loriberman is now asking questions--back on the subject of Best and Brightest. In particular she wants to know if the issue of teachers being "double-taxed" on the B & B bonuses.

With that questions ended.

And as soon as questions ended, the bill was moved from 2nd to 3rd reading.

So the final Senate vote will be taking place after debate.

First in debate is Sen. @BillMontford who is talking about his time as a teacher, principal, and superintendent.

Sen. @BillMontford says, "If you look at the last 20 years, we in this state...have put together an accountability system that is one of the best in the US...My question is, why are we allowing parents to remove their kids from this system to go to schools w/o accountability?"

There will be some, no doubt, who argue--but private schools do have accountability. Those people are wrong.

The DOE warns parents for a reason they can't vouch for private schools diplomas.

Here are the areas where private schools are NOT held accountable

Next in debate is @KevinRader who says he likes the changes to Best and Brightest in the #SB7070--says there is room for improvement, but these changes a "step in the right direction."
However, he says, "it would be nice if it were included in salaries" instead of a bonus.

Next in debate is Sen. @FarmerForFLSen who says, "There are a lot of good things in this bill." However, as he mentioned during questioning yesterday he believes the "Empowerment" voucher is unconstitutional.

Sen. @FarmerForFLSen continues, "We already move $1,000,000,000 into private schools," for that reason I cannot be supporting that bill today.

Next in debate is Sen. @SenAudrey2eet who asks the bill's sponsor to answer a few questions in his close:
"Why would we allow more & more charter schools to build right next door in 427 areas? She continues, It's almost a deliberate attempt to close neighborhood public schools

Sen. @SenAudrey2eet also wants to know if there will be a cap on these schools and what will be put in place to keep these schools from "cherry-picking" their students.

Typically questions like this would be addressed as the bill moves through committee stops, but the Senate is getting ready to conduct their final vote on a bill which contains substantial changes that were just added to the bill this morning.

Echoing comments from Sen. @FarmerForFLSen, Sen. @SenatorThurston questions the constitutionality of #SB7070 and worries about expanding even further the $1 billion voucher school industry in Florida.

Sen. @Rob_Bradley says that Florida is a "wonderfully diverse state" and that is true for our schools as well.
Let's look at some examples of diversity in Florida's schools:

Some voucher schools, for instance, teach that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time

Some voucher schools deny admission to students based on their hairstyle

Next in debate is Sen. @kellistargel who says this is a "comprehensive bill for education, and we've done everything we can" as she asks for support for the bill.

Sen. @KeithPerryFL is making the argument that more charter schools and voucher schools is a good idea b/c it saves money.

In no other area would he be likely to suggest that having parallel systems is a feature that saves money. tampabay.com/opinion/editor…

Sen. @dennisbaxley says he supports #SB7070 b/c it's all about 'freedom.' "Freedom works!" he declares.

But does it? 73% of voucher students return to public schools w/in 3 years. That level of instability isn't good for anyone.

Last in debate is Sen. @VicTorres_FL who says, "the bottom line is we're losing teachers" as he advocates for raising teacher salaries instead of providing bonuses.

Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr is now closing on the bill. The vote will take place soon.

In his close, Sen. @SenMannyDiazJr says #SB7070 is needed so that every student can get "the best" education possible.

But that's not why parents choose voucher schools. Overwhelmingly, they choose them explicitly b/c they want religious instruction.

But, many in the Legislature pretend not to know religious instruction is why parents choose voucher schools. In fact, Step up for Students coaches parents NOT to admit why they choose voucher schools.

And with that, #SB7070 just passed the senate on a party-line vote.

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