Contentious Education Bills Pass House

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

TALLAHASSEE (NSF) – Republicans pushed a trio of contentious education bills through the House on Thursday, with the potential for more divisive measures to come before the legislative session ends next month.

Voting nearly along party lines in each case, the House passed legislation aimed at giving bonuses to teachers based partly on their scores on college admissions tests (HB 7043); easing the path for some charter school providers to open additional campuses (HB 7029); and allowing students to go to any school in the state that has open seats (HB 699).

The bills were packages that had some elements Democrats favored. For example, the legislation dealing with teacher bonuses would also provide additional funding to universities that hit a set of benchmarks, and the charter school bill also would tighten accountability for charters.

But Democrats hammered away at the provisions they found objectionable, often in fiery terms. House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, lambasted the bill that would allow high-performing charter school providers to more easily expand, saying that calling charter facilities "public schools" was a ruse.

"The rigged system that we have continues to channel public tax dollars to a private-school system that over time is diminishing our traditional schools," Pafford said.

Republicans responded, as they often do on choice bills, that approaches like charter schools increase the chances that students will get high-quality educations.

"We have to break the chains of the prison guards of the past who want to preserve just what was, and open these doors of opportunity for the future," said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala.

The bill passed on a 79-35 count.

Opponents also heartily criticized the open enrollment bill, which would allow students to essentially transfer to any public school that isn't close to full capacity.

"For us to make a decision that a child can go anywhere in the state of Florida --- what you're creating is an unstable public education system because decisions can't be made if you don't know who you're going to have in your schools," said Rep. Mia Jones, D-Jacksonville. " ... As we continue to, block by block, take away from the foundation of our public education system, then we will be successful in destroying it."

Supporters said the bill would give Democrats what they have often said they want: better opportunities for students in traditional public schools, instead of a continuous drumbeat of legislation boosting charter and private schools.

"We have great teachers. We have great principals. Let's highlight them," said Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor. "And better yet, let's give kids and parents opportunities to go out and find them. When there's an opportunity to get a kid in front of a great teacher, that doesn't dismantle public schools. That highlights them."

The bill was approved, 79-34.

Democrats also criticized legislation that would make permanent the new "Best and Brightest" program, which would give annual $10,000 bonuses to teachers who are highly rated and whose SAT or ACT scores rank in the top fifth of test results. Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, called it "a big waste of money that has no proven correlation to the ability to teach effectively."

Republicans countered that the program would encourage more academically strong high-school and college students to consider teaching careers, and the bill was approved on an 81-31 vote.

While the GOP leadership had designated the week for education bills, there are still controversial measures dealing with charter schools that could be taken up. One proposal (HJR 759) would establish a statewide entity that could approve charter schools anywhere in Florida --- bypassing local school districts --- while another (HB 873) would make changes to education construction funding.

After Thursday's session, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said those measures could still be heard.

"This week was our labeled education week, but there will certainly be other bills that come about that have an education foundation to them," Crisafulli said. "Those two bills are two that are in the conversation still."

The News Service of Florida's Brandon Larrabee contributed to this report.