Florida parents are freaked the heck out. Our school system is failing many of our kids, particularly minority students and those living in poverty, and the options presented are oftentimes not what they seem. We’re being sold a false bill of goods labeled “choice” when the real issue is a policy debate controlled by big money special interests, ideologues, and people so far up in the “ivory tower,” out-of-the-vacuum reality is nearly impossible to see.
Millions upon millions of dollars are spent across the country to influence state legislators to undercut local districts, starving their ability to serve their students. And in instances when districts really do need help getting themselves together, Florida has increasingly taken the opportunity not to help people understand what it takes to educate children, but to shepherd in outside organizations who have invested heavily in the chance to profit from taking over management of our schools. The quid pro quo just under the surface (political committees reveal so much backstory) is appalling and a big piece of what I’m running to end. Nearly all of us are caught in this game and suffering just so a few can benefit and get their way.
There is no choice when our public schools are not fully funded, just like how separate but equal can never exist. We are fooling ourselves if we believe private organizations, for profit or non, will somehow deliver a higher quality product across the board. A peak behind the curtain reveals a startling story of students with the highest needs being taken the most advantage of with sometimes little to no accountability measures to deal with basic consumer protection issues like bait and switch.
The legislature and Florida Department of Education should work collaboratively with local school districts to serve our children and prepare them for the best start possible. Efforts underfoot to subvert local control over whether or not private organizations should be allowed to syphon public dollars from school district coffers should be seen for what they are — bold faced money grabs which ultimately see all of us as nothing but resources to be mined and moved out of our communities.
Many parents in particular have been convinced public schools just can’t serve students anymore and it’s up to all of us to prove them wrong. This isn’t just about fighting back against a machine, but actively listening and having really difficult conversations. Of course not everyone can be convinced, but understand most are driven purely by fear for their children’s future. That’s real and one I have too — I just have seen the data and understand the backstory to know we can’t let the special interests win. As state representative, I intend to work as hard as I can find ways to communicate with people, not shut them out, to raise the bar in our expectations.
Our campaign is about finding ways to help explain nuances of public policy to people who have been caught up in soundbites and special interest propaganda, and bringing them into the process. Any legislator’s job should be to develop policy solutions with and for the grassroots, not the lawnmower. It takes patience and a willingness to listen with an open mind, but ultimately we can and will change this and many other debates.