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| Stirring testimony from many concerned parents and students led to an overwhelming victory for HB1 as it passed by a wide margin out of committee today. I was honored to speak in favor of this fantastic legislation. |
In addition to meeting and speaking with legislators on many areas of continuing concern for the county, I also had the opportunity to speak before the House Education Committee this morning...
Several INCREDIBLY important initiatives are moving forward today in the wake of that committee's meeting.
Make no mistake about it, these initiatives improve schools, make better, more productive citizens, and eventually these education initiatives have a tremendous impact on counties and communities.
It is for this reason that I spoke today, as a parent and an individual, on the breakthrough legislation introduced this session by Representative Byron Donalds of Naples.
House Bill 1, the Hope Scholarship, was up in committee today. This bill provides a dedicated funding source for vouchers to allow victims of bullying to move out of schools where the bullying continues unabated. Many passionate speakers addressed the committee on this law.. Children, parents, victims of bullying that was never addressed in traditional public schools now want the ability to transfer out of dysfunctional schools where bullying is permitted to continue. Young victims and parents cried as they gave their testimony. It was moving.
The educrats, the status quo guardians also spoke. Unions, PTA's, school administators They hate this proposal, and bemoaned the loss of revenue for their "public" schools.
I spoke up too. I spoke passionately and URGED the committee to pass this legislation to make it law. Laws are on the books and have been for years, and they are not followed at the local level--this was the thrust of my testimony as a parent and former school board member. I support public schools, but I simply do not believe they will follow laws like the Jeffrey Johnston stand up for all students act. That law is on the books ten years now and it is not being followed. The only thing that will get the "Establishment's" attention is giving parents the choice to leave dysfunctional dangerous public schools.
We have had time to fix this, but bureaucrats and other feckless administrators put political correctness and "lower discipline" referral numbers ahead of following the bullying laws with fidelity. Essentially, they have coddled the bullies, and kicked the victims, metaphorically, to the curb with their collective inaction which became the genesis for H.B. 1. HB 1 passed overwhelmingly out of committee today--and there is a strong likelihood that this law passes out of the full House today. I certainly hope it does.
Victim students deserve this, as do those in positions of power and trust who allowed this epidemic to grow unchecked. Congratulations to those educrats--they brought this on themselves, congratulations!
