Teachers’ union sues to block ballot measure that could spur more vouchers
by John Kennedy | July 20th, 2011The state’s largest teachers’ union filed a lawsuit Wednesday to strip from next year’s ballot a measure allowing state money to go to religious institutions, a proposal they warned would open the door to more private-school vouchers.
Joining the Florida Education Association in challenging the proposed Amendment 7 are a half-dozen religious clergy and the current chairman of the Florida School Boards Association.
“Those of us who work to make public schools a priority know this is designed to open the door to vouchers,” said Andy Ford, FEA president.
A lawyer for the association, Ron Meyer, also condemned state lawmakers for crafting a ballot measure that misleads voters. “Instead of trying to hide the ball and playing word games, they should tell people they will empower religious organizations to extract tax dollars,” Meyer said.
The proposed constitutional amendment would effectively lift a century-old provision, dubbed the “Blaine Amendment,” which prohibits tax dollars from directly or indirectly going to religious organizations.
Millions of state dollars are budgeted each year for programs serving foster children, inmates, and low-income and elderly Floridians that are run by religious-affiliated organizations. Supporters of the amendment say they are merely looking to clarify state law, to avoid putting these services at risk.
Florida’s Blaine amendment first gained prominence during the 2006 challenge to the state’s private school voucher program. The First District Court of Appeal ruled that then-Gov. Jeb Bush’s first-in-the-nation statewide program violated the no-aid provision.
But by the time the case got to the Florida Supreme Court, justices instead ruled vouchers unconstitutional because they violated another constitutional standard –one requiring that the sttte provide a “uniform system of public schools.”
The Blaine amendment came back into prominence in 2007, when the Council for Secular Humanism, a New York nonprofit which advocates a “non-religious lifestance,” sued the state’s Department of Corrections over substance abuse housing programs provided by a pair of faith-based organizations.
July 20th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
It’s all about money and control, not the good of the student. If public schools were doing a good job there would be no need for this. Teachers have made a choice, they chose the union and not your kids.
July 20th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Teachers need to be ‘re-educated’ that the schools are there for the benefit of children…not their union. Unions are irrelevant these days anyway.
July 20th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Let’s face it. The worst schools are the ones in the poorest neighborhoods which are predominantly African-Americans and Hispanics. These kids with the voucher system would be able to go to a decent school and fulfill their full potentials. The teacher’s union does not want this to happen. THEY ARE RACISTS and BIGOTS. They would rather keep the money flowing then let these kids get a good education.
July 20th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Hey tim! What hell makes you think the families in the poorest neighborhoods would be able – even with the help of a voucher – be able to pay the extra tuition a voucher does not cover???? This is simply a ploy by the rich to further undercut the public school system
July 20th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
We need more vouchers.
Since the federal government has entered the educational arena; public education has declined.
Time to let ALL parents have vouchers to place their children in schools of their choice.
Too bad, public teacher’s unions don’t want vouchers. Do a better job!
July 20th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
“Since the federal government has entered the educational arena; public education has declined.” Exactly, the government, both federal & state, legislates unrealistic & unfunded mandates for public schools. Yet charter & private schools are free from these mandates, this is an obvious ploy by politicans to destroy public schools. Vouchers are NOT the answer, local control of schools is the answer. Politicians… butt out!
July 20th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
The GOP states they are the party of less government, but their legislative agenda declares just the opposite.
July 21st, 2011 at 8:20 am
Bash the union? Yes, they are powerful. This is the same union that has not got a raise for its teachers in years, lost 3% of the union members pay, and put all the teachers on annual contract. This is the powerful union that you tea bags love bashing. This process is a ploy to channel more $ to private, preferably Christian, school. At least be honest.
July 21st, 2011 at 8:52 am
Dear John B,
That voucher would allow parents to place their children in hebrew schools, afrocentric schools, not just ‘christian’ schools.
We want our kids educated in a safe environment. All we see and experience is a failure to control disruptive children who slow the progress for those who are behaving and trying to learn.
Too many public schools are failing the parents and their children who want to learn.
July 21st, 2011 at 9:10 am
All of the people do not have power positions or the funds to send our children to other than public schools.
Here is another example of politicians telling the public that public schools aren’t good enough for their children, so they send them to private schools.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/07/20/exclusive-emanuel-to-send-kids-to-u-of-c-lab-school/
We all want the ability to send our children to schools of our choice. We pay taxes, we should be able to send our children to schools we choose and send the tax money to those schools.
Politicians do it. The rest of us should be able to do it.
We need to vote for candidate who support vouchers. Teachers will be needed in all schools be they public, private, parochial, virtual. School as we knew it is changing. Time for the rest of the public to get a decent education for their children.
Let’s target parents who do not invest in a good education for their children. They should be monitored for neglect.
July 21st, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Remember Clinton And Obama sent their kids to private schools. What do they know that you don’t?