Governor Scott Signs HB 7069 Into Law Today!

Governor Rick Scott Signs HB 7069 Into Law.  June 15, 2017. (Photo from Shawn R. Frost)

This afternoon Governor Rick Scott Signed HB 7069 into law.

This historic bill puts students and parents first and is set to shatter the status quo in education around the state.  The special interests, unions, Superintendents, The Florida School Boards Association, the PTA and other groups strongly opposed HB 7069.  These and other groups had put on a full court press lately to urge Governor Scott to veto this bill.

As a proponent of Education Reform and a staunch School Choice supporter---I strongly supported this bill and I am glad it will now be the law of the land.  The conservative Florida Coalition of School Board Members, a group I co-founded and served as President of in Florida in 2014, strongly supported this bill this session and worked tirelessly to make this bill a law.  My hat's off to them and the Florida House and Senate for all of their hard work on this.

Here are some of the great things this Law will do for Florida students, families, and teachers, principals, and communities:

--Continues Best and Brightest Teacher Bonuses

--Implements Best and Brightest Bonuses for Some Principals (Title 1 schools)

--Requires Elementary Schools to Provide Recess for 20 minutes daily

--Allows a pencil and paper test alternative for standardized test administration grades 3-6

--Eliminates Algebra 2 EOC Exam

--Additional $30 Million in special needs student scholarships (Gardner Scholarships)

--Expands access to Virtual Schools for all Florida students and families.

--Provides support and intervention strategies for early readers identified as having a substantial reading deficiency.

--Forces Districts to limit standardized testing to only the last 4 weeks of the school year--allowing more school days and class time to be open for instruction

--Compels Districts to share capital millage funds with public charter schools

--Allows high-performing charter schools to compete against chronically failing traditional schools with $140 Million allocated for Charter Schools of Hope initiative.

Read more about this bill at the FCSBM website, here.

The bill does all of this and much more.  Of course the special interests hated it, of course they wanted it vetoed.  It challenges the status quo and forces accountability and competition in public education---two things that are needed desperately.

The status quo in education, the special interests, the unions, and the grifters got stuffed today.  Parents and Students First!

I think what we will witness next, I'm sorry to say, is a deliberate effort to stymie the implementation of this law.  I hate to say that, but sadly I believe that is what we will witness next.  I certainly hope this is not the case....