"Let's be real clear." That's what Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said to Florida School Board members who convened in Orlando on June 14th at the FSBA Conference.

"What they're focusing on is high-stakes testing, which is a political way of saying that "We just don't like testing. ...

Why Parents Across America Opposes Florida's Parent Empowerment Legislation:

It represents neither real parent choice nor genuine empowerment.

Florida's new legislation is modeled after California's Parent Empowerment Act passed in early 2010. It is widely supported by backers of corporate reform.

The law...

We've all heard this expression numerous times this year, "We must tighten our belts" with regards to education. Whose belts are we tightening in the education arena anyways?

Or, did they mean a noose around the necks of taxpayers that we need to "tighten" instead?

To the Ladies and...

Looking for a soccer mom or a helicopter parent?

You won't find one in the workshops that Parents Across America will conduct at American University on July 28 and 29!

Three parents -- that's right, parents -- representing diverse populations and education issues will present and discuss "

Every so often, I step back to see what staunch proponents of "corporate reform" are saying now. Maybe there's new evidence? Maybe I've missed some critical research validating the privatization of public education or some new study on merit pay that supersedes a multitude of others stating that merit pay...

If the audience had their way Thursday evening, I think the Don Estridge High Tech Middle School janitors might have found dumpsters filled with FCATs in a show of solidarity the morning after a testy Town Hall Meeting was held!

U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch hosted an Education...

In case you haven't kept score of how many times Florida's teachers and school children have been suckered punch by its out-of-control legislature, here's a recap of just the past four weeks of laws enacted and bills proposed. Jaw, meet floor.

SB 736 ENACTED:

...

It's safe to say that for approximately 4 million teachers in our nation, education reform's F word is now -- Florida!

Last month, Florida's Governor enacted a teacher merit pay bill. Legislators cunningly re-titled it, "The Student Success Act." This law and subsequent bills in queue are being torpedoed...

Dear Governor Scott,

Are our legislators attempting to set a Guinness Record for record-breaking time to pass the most controversial legislation ever through a state? Have the rallying cries, protests, and turmoil in Wisconsin taught Florida legislators anything? We are a nation governed around laws; not a...

It wasn't just the type of slingshot or the shape of rock David used when he defeated Goliath. David's determination was steadfast, his belief system so strong, that it shaped his do or die mindset. David courageously pressed forward and defeated Goliath. But why did he win when others just...

I summarized Florida's Education Summit yesterday indicating that the event may have moved us a step forward towards genuine dialogue on education reform. We are certainly better off than if the summit never occurred!

What we haven't looked at -- as a state or nation -- is...

"January is a time of beginnings," my grandmother from County Cork would say. "We're given another chance to get things right when the clock strikes 12." I couldn't help but recall her wise words when Senator Maria Sachs discussed organizing an education summit in January amid one of the most...

Please explain to me, a F500 business woman, Chamber of Commerce member, and parent, how firing 6-10 percent of teachers annually will improve the quality of education in our nation?

That's the formula for success being championed by the Department of Education and its apparent sleepwalking cast of reformers.

I recently read with great interest a document released by Chancellor Joel Klein and enthusiastically titled a "Manifesto".

I had to plow through it a few times in search of any substance. There is no connection to what transpires in the real world. I read no definitive...

The spotlight beamed on discussions of education reform last week as it became the focus spanning prime-time slots on every network. This was a great idea. This was big!

As a concerned and involved parent, I expected this media blitzkrieg would generate unity. Yes, this will be...