It's the time of year when students are taking FCAT, seniors are counting the days until graduation, and the Orange County Public School Board is anxiously monitoring the 2011 Florida Legislative Session.
Last week, I traveled to Tallahassee to meet with state legislators about concerns that fellow board members and I have about pending education-related legislation. One ongoing concern is the state budget and potential per-student funding decreases. There was encouraging news that the Florida Senate is attempting to hold the decrease to 2 percent versus 10 percent as recently offered by Gov. Rick Scott.
Relief was tempered when it became evident that early budget proposals reduce a school district's obligation to fully contribute to teacher pensions. If passed, teachers will be mandated to participate in the Florida Retirement System and their salaries reduced proportionately to the district's decrease. It is expected that individual contributions could be withdrawn if a teacher leaves before retirement, but whether or not you agree with pension reform, it's hard to ignore that the budget is being developed on the backs of our teachers.
Once again, I thank the voters for approving the one-mill property tax rate increase for OCPS! While, the increase won't insulate us entirely from feeling impact from state funding cuts, it will "keep our noses above water".
Charter school oversight
Another concern is proposed legislation that severely minimizes the role of school boards in approving charter school applications. Make no mistake, our position is not "anti-charter". Charter schools can and should be a valuable component of a public school district by offering innovative and positive environments for students. What I don't want is the elimination of the school board's oversight in the application process. This function should remain with the local school boards who are elected with the responsibility of ensuring and monitoring public school accountability. Just as traditional public schools are held to strict accountability, so should charter schools.
Currently, all charter school applications go through a thorough vetting process by the school board that requires academic and financial foundations set in place. This helps ensure that students receive a high-quality education and parents can remain confident in the school's abilities. I'm currently working with other board members to provide more sources that help parents make informed choices when it comes to Orange County Public Schools.
Thanks to teachers
My last comments are about teacher appreciation. Our teachers are hard-working individuals striving to provide students the best education possible. It saddens me to see certain groups and individuals putting teachers in the middle of a political partisan dogfight. A solid, effective education system is a quality-of- life factor for every community. We should be proud and boast loudly that OCPS is a three-time "A"-rated district. Our teachers are a main reason for the continued high rating. May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Let's not wait until then to show our appreciation. Send a note to your nearest school to let teachers know that they are valued members of our community. I certainly think so!
Should you have any questions about these or other issues, contact me at daryl.flynn@ocps.net