A lot of states have their wacko governors but our governor is a piece of work that no one that doesn't need to be heavily medicated with long term institutionalized therapy would dream of electing. Of course this is Florida and we know that in order to vote in Florida you have to check your brain, and your soul, at the border. But he's not the focus of this diary because he's doing it for the money. After all, no one in their right minds would run for governor spending 73 million of their own dollars and not expect to get something back. In a way that I can't explain I think I can respect.
As a long time science teacher and coach (33 years) I'm not happy with what he's doing to education in Florida. However, with the long term plan by the republicans to starve public education, and replace it with for profit voucher schools, no one should be surprised.
The state has piled on numerous unfunded mandates that must be met, and has said it's cutting 60 million dollars from our budget over last year. We added up the cost of every administrator, guidance counselor, all athletic sports, art and music programs, media specialists, computer technology, and we still come up short about 40 million dollars. That includes teachers paying into their own retirement and health care. So where else is there to cut?
One would think the local school boards would remind the legislature that they are in violation of the part of the state constitution that says.
SECTION 1. Public education.—
(a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require.
But for some reason our school board is traveling around the county with a powerpoint showing what things cost, and steering the people attending the town halls toward their goal of saying they're going to have to cut teacher's pay from 7 to 9 percent on top of the estimated 4% they'll have to pay into their retirement. That would push a teacher with 15 years experience back to beginning teacher's pay, and beginning teachers back to what the custodian assistant makes.
So I sat for three hours, with 250 other teachers and community members, looking at all the school board member's charts and graphs while the superintendent and my principal looked on and smiled. Then we were given the opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions. Sounds great but what do we know about the school board budget, especially since they wouldn't release the information to back up their charts and graphs. Of course he smiled and thanked people with that central Florida southern good ole boy drawl, but not once did anyone write down a single one of the suggestions. I felt uneasy about the entire direction of the presentation, like someone was trying to convince me that I was being conned by a street magician with three walnut shells and a pea.
Having heard enough I raised my hand and he called on me. This was our exchange:
Me: "Sir I've listened patiently with an open mind to everything you had to say and you know as well as I that all budgets are nothing more than a set of someone's priorities. We have ours and it's apparent the District School Board has theirs. I hope I'm wrong but I believe the decisions as to what programs are going to be cut, and that salaries are going to be cut as well. If that's the case it's important that all of you inform the teachers who are going to be laid off in plenty of time so they can plan what they're going to do. Further, it's come to my attention that the legislators who have been pushing through bill after bill that has caused the problems we have today, are being given a place of honor on the stage during our high school graduations. Why they were invited to attend our graduations is beyond me and I would greatly appreciate it if the invitation was rescinded."
Board Member: Now I don't want to offend you.....
Me: Sir, I'm a teacher in Florida so I'm used to being offended.
(Crowd cheers and applauds)
Board Member: (Not happy) I read all my emails and take all my phone calls when I can. I can't go to church, out to dinner, or walk down his street without someone grabbing me. If the decision had already been made I wouldn't be wasting my time being here. Of course the solutions are narrow.
He never did respond about the legislators being a part of our high school graduations but I did speak with him after the meeting. I explained to him that I wasn't some dumb central Florida redneck, that I grew up in Detroit, and I knew when someone was trying to pull something on me. His presentation was the problem and he said he didn't put it together but was just presenting what he was told to present. I pressed him about filing a lawsuit based on the constitution and he just laughed saying they weren't going to go there. When I reminded him that he didn't answer my question about the legislators attending graduations he said that they were friends and that I needed to understand what a hard job they have.
I was dumbfounded and then out of anger I blurted out "Whose side are you on anyway?" He walked away.
At that moment a young district supervisor (low level) told me I'd better watch my step and what I say. You know, looking at me all stern and shit. I turned to him and said "Or what?" Yes, I've been around long enough to know the rules, that I can ask any question I like without fear, and that no low level supervisor is allowed to try and intimidate a teacher. His response was "You just better watch it." My response was "Oh really? Fuck you!"
I'm sure I could have handled it better but I'm still curious as to why the School Board, district supervisors, and other administrators are going along with the attack on public education. To me it's like a forest ranger talking about how bad it is that they're paving over the forest but what else are they supposed to do.
So when the people you were counting on to be on your side turn on you it's apparent that the battle just got that much tougher.