"The showdown took place over the so-called parent trigger bill, which would have enabled parents to convert low-performing public schools into charter schools... The parent groups disagreed. They argued that the bill was really intended to give for-profit charter school management companies more clout."

My heroes!!

And I cannot believe this new strategy, co-opting just like that our public schools for their for-profit crusade.

I talk to parents everyday. It is disheartening how many don't see the crux of the charter battle, don't know the history, or the real outcomes. The for-profit folks have done an amazing job at misdirecting and reframing things.

When my kid is assigned to a good school all is good and nice.
But if he is stuck in a bad school, I'd like to have the choice to take him somewhere else.
Its like saying - you were born in Podunk, USA. You can't move to a nicer place and if you don't like it, tough luck.

Sorry, not with you on this one.

in Florida "choice" is being used to:

1.) create all white schools (St. Petersburg is under court order because they still don't have integrated schools; Miami has lawsuits about the treatment of Hispanic students)
2.) create schools run by private corporations that make a profit buying stuff from Neil Bush, etc.
3.) create schools that undermine collective bargaining that has worked well in Florida for 40-50 years (no strikes; most school districts have mostly good schools, no major teacher shortages, etc.)

Anyone in most Florida districts can complain about their school; there are already magnet schools, fundamental schools, charter schools and demonstration schools all over the state; there are already vouchers if you want to move you kid to a private school...soooo why do we need this "new" legislation?

It's a ruse and the PTA, school boards, and most parents caught on to the fake "choice" issue and put a stop to it.

that those are half measures.
Give the kids a choice of any public school, like in Europe.
I don't want to have to send my kid to a private school, I'd like to have a choice of which public school to take him to.

rural districts only have a few schools that are miles apart. There's no way to have a choice. Urban districts end up with everyone wanting to be he the "good" school. As soon as all the Hispanic or Black or even great football players "choose" a particular school, the rest of the population wants in, files discrimination suits, etc. How can you transport kids to their choice? It doubles the bus budget (it's been tried).

If you want a private school (I've taught in one) then put the kids there. If you want public schools to allow everyone to pick it almost always creates a mess.

Europe doesn't universally have "choice". I don't know where you get that...

A friend of ours moved from Nebraska to Tampa last year for her husband's job. She has 2 boys (4th and 6th grade). My wife has received multiple calls in the last 6 months where this friend is in tears, questioning what they have done to their children. She has said every school she has visited in the Tampa region is flat out awful and at least a full year behind where her kids were at here. Sadly, they have even begun to look at the private schools and those near them are equally bad.

They are in the process of trying to find a way back here to get away from the shitty schools there.

My wife teaching in a school across Tampa Bay from Tampa and it's one of the best public schools I've seen in the US. It has an "A" rating, lots of parent involvement, great fine arts, few discipline problems. Almost every teacher has a graduate degree and the kids are in pretty small classes.

Tampa has very good International Baccalaureate programs, AP courses, and it has millions of extra money from the Bill Gates foundation. School districts here have 100,000 to 250,000 students and hundreds of schools. There are no state standards that demand consistency (other than class size). Some schools are the worst. They are dropout factories and have lots of teacher turnover. A few miles away usually schools that rival any private school you've ever dreamed of...soooo....chances are it depends.

If you move to Florida, it helps if you pick where you live after you get your kids in the school you want.