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Parent Empowerment In FL

“Proponents say bill would empower parent”
by Valerie Boey
FOX 35 News
January 26, 2012

It’s a bill created to empower parents when it comes their child’s education, according to its proponents.

The Parent Empowerment Act allows parents to decide if they need to get rid of current teachers or administrators and use something like a charter or virtual school instead.

“It has a really catchy name, good marketing, but was not driven by parents, nor does it empower parents.” Dawn Stewart is vice president of Florida’s PTA and is against the bill.

“It’s not parental involvement, it’s corporate involvement. We are concerned about corporate America opening up charter schools that could be about money, everything is about money unfortunately.”

Creator of the bill,Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto of SW Florida didn’t return our half dozen calls, but the bill’s co-sponsor did. We talked to Senator Mike Fasano of Pasco County over the phone.

“It’s not a charter school bill, it’s not a voucher bill, it’s a parents bill of rights. It only happens in a case where the school has not been able to turn themselves around after receiving poor grades.”

Senator Fasano says the bill gives a school three years to turn around. If it can’t the majority of parents can petition for a change. Stewart tells us, it takes away power from the school board members that the public votes into office, “I can take a petition and walk around here and get 51 percent of the people in this building to sign anything that I put under their nose because they like me. Just vote no.”

But parents like Michael Taylor say it’s something to consider, “Ultimately as long as they’re giving us options and not bogging us down with politics and red tape that’s fine.”

On Tuesday, an education committee in Tallahassee approved the bill. Now a budget committee is considering it.