Rick Scott Plans To Continue Jeb Bush's Legacy With Voucher Program In Florida

Jeb Bush may have left office in Florida almost four years ago, however many of his educational policies are still in place -- and expanding.

Education Week reported on government officials around the country who have been inspired by Bush's controversial strategies. Florida Governor-Elect Rick Scott is one of them and has anounced an approach that echoes Bush's more infamous legislation: vouchers.

After leaving office, Bush created the Foundation for Excellence in Education. It is a network of elected officials and organizations focused on overhauling public school education.

Bush has worked with at least 16 state officials through his foundation. Many others consult with him extensively on education policy. Tony Bennett, Indiana's elected superintendent of public instruction, told Education Week that Bush's ideas have made a lasting impression.

"He's had an incredible influence on me, because he knows exactly what to do and how to get it done."

The foundation promotes schooling changes and goals including more standardized testing, outcome-based funding, and the right to school choice.

School choice or, in an other word, vouchers.

Bush's voucher legistlation was deemed unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court in 2006 when he was governor of the state. It was a decision he decried as unpatriotic.

"School choice is as American as apple pie in my opinion. ... The world is made richer and fuller and more vibrant when you have choices."

However, Scott is hoping to continue Bush's legacy and put aspects of his voucher polices back on track in Florida.

According to ABC Action News, Scott's voucher plan would give up to $5,500 to families that opt out of public schooling. No information was given regarding the legality of the plan, although Scott stressed that he has the "best interest of kids" as priority.

On Tuesday, lawmakers met with Scott in Tampa to discuss public policy, but not all were encouraging of Scott's plan. Democratic State Representative Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg told ABC Action News that the plan is dangerous to public school funding.

"I don't know how you implement his program without destroying public education as we know it."

WATCH:

Comments

[MarvinM]

09:14 AM on 02/07/2011

Part 2

(Using small numbers in example for easier math)

Say Public School A has 100 students and they get $5500/student from the state. That's $550,000. So they budget based on last year's enrollment that they'll have that money for whatever improvements they need.

But let's say the parents of 20 kids get vouchers and decide to send them to another school. Public SChool A now has $110,000 less to work with - and they won't know that until they get the Fall enrollment numbers!

Meanwhile, Private School B, which touts its low teacher-to-student ratio, is told it has to accept all twenty of the voucher students because they are using state funds (assuming the parents pay the required tuition on top of that if it is more. Once again, they did not know until just before the Fall what their enrollment would be, and it is too late in that year to hire more teachers, plus there's a bigger likelihood that these smaller schools simply would not have the proper facilities for higher enrollment.

And every year, both public and private schools would have to go through that nightmare.

How does this save the state money? How does this create better schools? How does this give the students a better education?

[MarvinM]

09:01 AM on 02/07/2011

In Two Parts (HuffPo Word Limits!)

Corrections and/or clarifications happily welcomed re: the following.

Florida schools are funded mostly by local property taxes, and a little from the State coffers, I think.

As I understand it, the portion from the state is allocated to each school based on enrollment.

I don't see how the voucher money could be taken out of the county/municipalities property tax revenue, so the voucher money must have to come from the state.

This is where I have a hard time figuring how this will actually work.

See Part 2 for example.

[LMPE]

10:50 PM on 01/05/2011

So what we can conclude is that before too long, the people of Florida will be lucky if they can add 1+1

[jebamoni4]

05:36 AM on 01/06/2011

Under Jeb Bush, Florida public schools ranked 50th among all the contiguous states. Rick Scott swallowed more than 300 million from Medicare funds, but vomitted back when found. Did he count them right?

[raiatea]

08:09 AM on 01/06/2011

In 2000, we established that Florida had exactly that problem.

[Leigh Anne P]

05:01 PM on 01/05/2011

My question would be how much does the school take in to educate one student? And how much does it cost them to educate one student? Is the $5,500 a one time thing or given every year?

As long as the school the student is going to is really accredited and the student is getting a good education, why should the parent's choice be limited?

[bigdog4847]

10:44 AM on 01/05/2011

Florida's legislature has been predominantly republican for something like 18 years, since January 1999 the governor has been republican. So who should we blame for the miserable economic and educational policies? Pretty clear to me...the one's that have been in charge. The republican legislature has been starving public education into failure for years. Jebby has desperately trying to make education a private business since he was in office. They don't care if anything works so long as his cronies and business partners profit. And now we have bush's Siamese twin....Scott. More unemployment, more educational failures.............

[Robert59]

10:59 PM on 01/04/2011

I'd like to know how many of those who are totally opposed to vouchers work for or are married to individuals who are employees of a public school.

[tedmore123]

01:56 PM on 01/06/2011

I oppose vouchers because public schools, when properly funded, work just fine; vouchers will put money that should be funding public schools right into a 'private sector - read; for profit charter schools'
So rather than our tax dollars going collectively into a public school system that works, it will go directly into the pockets of private business. YOU can send your kid to one of these 'schools' but I'll send mine to a real - public school.

[Robert59]

12:09 PM on 01/09/2011

First, not every private school is a charter school. Parochial schools are private schools.
Second, money doesn't always produce results. Education dollars don't fix failed families.
Third, vouchers would have to be allowed at private or public schools. What prevents many families from pulling their kid out of a failed district and enrolling them in another is they don't live in that district. Schools would no longer be allowed to turn down students from outside their district as the parents could pay for attending with a voucher.
I know plenty of kids who attended parochial schools and they got a 'real' education.

[springsm]

07:05 PM on 01/04/2011

Is Jebby the one who gave his big brother George the idea of "No Child Left Behind" which is and was a total bust.

[campaignman]

12:03 PM on 01/04/2011

Every child matters, not just those that can afford to go to private school.

Support Every Child Matters! Go to www.everychildmatters.org and donate now!

[campaignman]

12:01 PM on 01/04/2011

Correction:

Rick Scott is still a fraud! His company was forced to pay millions of dollars for committing fraud. Now, he is once again trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of Florida.

[campaignman]

12:00 PM on 01/04/2011

Rick Scott is a fraud. His company was forced to millions for fraud. Now, he is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of Florida.

[Lizzy28]

08:25 PM on 01/04/2011

And for such a hot state, Florida sure does seem to have a lot of wool.

[darkmark]

11:12 AM on 01/04/2011

let's see now, public schools, medicare, social security, the EPA all just a waste of our money. that's the bush plan. medicare for all, healthy social security, free education from pre school through post graduate and a well funded EPA with teeth to bite that's what we the people need. class warfare has been going on since the beginning of the feudal state. corporations are an extension of the feudal system. there is no love by the conservative rich for working people. they despise us and think our place is under the yoke of slavery.

[Lizzy28]

10:58 AM on 01/04/2011

Today's republican leaders are absolutely in favor of the failure of the public school system in order that it can be destroyed and replaced by private.

Our public schools are the last great hope for the future of our society.

Do not buy into the right-wing propaganda.

[Robert59]

03:53 PM on 01/04/2011

How did you reach your conclusion? I consider myself a progressive. Enlighten me on how vouchers will lead to the end of public schools. What's hurt private schools here is working class families can no longer afford to send their kids to them. Ten years ago that wasn't the case. We're fortunate in that the public schools here are good, but 10 miles away they aren't. Vouchers should allow those parents the option of sending their kids to private schools or public schools (that aren't in their district). One of my kids wanted to graduate from high school early by attending night school. The night school is run by another district; the district we live in wouldn't allow her to go to the night school. The reason: they would have to pay the other district the cost of educating my daughter. They didn't give a damn about my daughter; it was all about dollars. I had to fight them to let her graduate early as that was against their policy. When I told them she had all her credits required by the state of Illinois and was going to drop out they finally relented letting her graduate a semester early.

[Lizzy28]

04:14 PM on 01/04/2011

Yes, allowing children to hop from district to district would create a budgeting nightmare for public schools. Schools receive funding on a per pupil basis.

I began researching the direction of our public school system following a decision in my district to eliminate our high school buses. My research has been internet based and also includes many discussions with my own school district superintendent.

My conclusions: Many of our political leaders want the public schools to tank and people to be outraged so they can 1) bust the unions and 2) promote a dramatic increase in private education.

If this happens, I guarantee down the road your nice private schools will become more and more expensive. You will see tremendous growth in sub-standard private institutes that have as priorities the almighty $ and their own devious agendas.

Look around at what some of the R governors are up to (NJ comes to mind). Look past the fluff articles to what the people that live there actually have to say.

[Vetinari]

10:53 AM on 01/04/2011

Unconstitutional.

That says it all.

[Robert59]

08:01 AM on 01/04/2011

I'm all for vouchers. Eighty percent of my property taxes go towards education. While agnostic I like what parish schools offered: small classes, lots of parental involvement, great sports programs, good teachers, sense of community, and as a military person, consistency. Regarding cost, 5500 dollars would have helped tremendously. It would also keep a broad spectrum of income groups in the school who are basically leaving because the parish subsidizes less of the cost meaning parents pay more. With the current system I am penalized because I choose to send my children to a parish school because none of the property taxes I pay go to support the school. The public school gets a windfall because they take my tax money and don't have to spend a penny educating my kids.

[icesailor]

08:20 AM on 01/04/2011

Well Robert,

That's your choice. You obviously can afford to send your children to private schools. Lucky for you. I and my four children couldn't afford private schools. After you and your ilk have drained the swamp of all money used to help those of us who aren't as fortunate as you, now want to wipe out Public Education as you and I knew it. And replace it with what was available in the early 1800's. A wispful time you all want to return to. A time of no public health. Slavery. No womens rights. No medical care for the poor. No public education. Those of us less fortunate than you can be glad that folks like us can come and beg at your feet for handouts.

[Robert59]

09:13 AM on 01/04/2011

Give me a break! When the parish paid a greater share of the cost we had plenty of low income kids attending the parish school. vouchers would give those parents choice, something they don't have now due to finances. And when my kids graduate the vouchers end and all my property tax dollars go towards public schools. Vouchers are not the evil you make them out to be. Sounds like you suffer from envy and I certainly am not asking for a handout, but under the current system I am paying for a public school system my kids did not use.

[cjger]

05:44 PM on 01/07/2011

Vouchers are simply a way of reducing the costs of education. Fiscally, this sounds good, but it is bad policy. It costs more than $5,500 to educate the average K-12 school student. Private schools do not, because they can not, pay teachers at the rate the public schools pay. As a result, private school teachers do not meet the requirements of a teacher in public school. You are, in fact, favoring less qualified teachers for your youngsters. When those underpaid teachers have met the educational requirements, they tend to leave to get the higher pay of the public school. You will never convince me that lower paid teachers with fewer credentials provide a better education. In fact, contrary to many assertions you may have heard, comparing COMPARABLE student groups, public schools provide superior achievement to private schools. What makes public schools look bad is the burden of under-performing students. A host of reasons can make students under-perform. These students will never be accepted in private schools. Your choice of sending your children to private schools insulates them from a segment of the population. But from 38 years experience in public schools, I can say that you are stunting their development. I know. I spent all my own elementary and high school years in such a sheltered environment.

[Robert59]

12:14 PM on 01/09/2011

I'd put our private school teachers against public any day. I agree private school teachers are underpaid, but one could also argue public school teachers are overcompensated (salary and pensions). The reason it costs so much in the public school is they build facilities that are luxurious and they pay very well. In 25 years of parenting I don't believe any of my children ended up stunted from attending a parochial school. Sorry it didn't work out so well for you.

[StJames]

01:12 AM on 01/04/2011

I live in Palm Beach County Florida...when my children (now 31 and 28) were in school here I paid property taxes of $11,000+ a year and still had to send the children to private schools because no matter how much money we collect in Palm Beach County, it all goes up to Tallahassee to be distributed "equitably" around the state.  So Brevard County has lower property taxes and  receives more money from the state than they contribute...(think Red state/Blue states) while Palm Beach Cty. sent more money to Tallahassee than it received.... and the schools suffer for it.  

This  scheme will place the last nail into the coffin of public education in FL...

[icesailor]

08:28 AM on 01/04/2011

It already has. And it is spreading across the country.

They want the best teachers with the highest educational degrees (cost money) to work for Burger King wages.

Welcome to the United Faciest States of America.

Where Corporations pay no taxes, and we little folks pay their way so they can fleece us. They get paid to take our jobs over seas so we can line their pockets with our money. Soon, we will be another third world country. Oh, we already are.

50 million out of work? Not so. There's pleanty of jobs at Burger King and Wendy's. Can't afford a BK Whopper? Get a Value Meal. Can't afford that? Tough, out of luck. Work at Burger King and get one free Value Meal in lieu of wages. Its a good deal. Food for work.

[StJames]

10:10 AM on 01/04/2011

It's amazing to me that no one is willing to stand up and tell the truth or that when someone does, no one  believes it. 

The entire Bush tax cut debate, no one stood up and said "As taxes go up,the true cost of labor goes down.  As taxes go down, that cost goes up"  Yet that happens to be the simple economic truth and explains why our biggest sustained booms were during high tax eras.

One criteria of a Banana Republic is that the top 1% of the population earns at least 20% of the income.  Here that top 1% earns 23.5% of the income.  So you're correct, we already are.

[Robert59]

04:00 PM on 01/04/2011

What's wrong with distributing it equally? You'd rather have districts with no money because the residents in that location are low income? How would vouchers lead to the collapse of public education? Wouldn't it have been if you could have taken 5500 of that 11,000 and applied it towards the cost of the private schools your kids attended? Enlighten me StJames because your post confuses me (not being a smart aleck as I really don't understand where you are coming from).

[StJames]

06:39 PM on 01/04/2011

What happened here in FL was that smaller and less affluent school districts were able to afford programs that schools in Palm Beach County only dreamed of.  I know, it's crazy but that is what happened.  Just like the FL lottery was supposed to provide money for education, what they never told the voters before it was passed is that the money was not in addition to the tax revenue but in place of it. Also, in FL property taxes are not completely dedicated to schools....
Finally, the $5,500 in voucher money would not have reduced my taxes but would certainly have made the public schools worse than they were

Today $5,500 won't pay for a year's tuition in most private or parochial schools here.  Nor will it pay for the uniforms and books.  So once again the poor will be left to rot in schools that have no money and nowhere to get it.  Here's the dirty little secret no one is supposed to recognize...If you can afford to pay high property taxes chances are your children are already going to private schools because the public schools have been sub par for a long time. 

The whole purpose of school vouchers is to "privatize" education.  You must remember,  once you add the need to turn a profit you have increased the cost...