TAKE ACTION: Tell the House Ed Committee to fund salaries not vouchers

Please take a moment to visit the FEA Action Center to send a message to the House Education Committee to fund salaries, not vouchers: https://feaactioncenter.org/2019/03/act-fund-salaries-not-vouchers/

Tell the members of the House Education Committee to oppose EDC 19-01 and the funding of yet another voucher program.

• Unlike the current vouchers which use “tax credit” schemes as a way to divert public money into unaccountable private schools, this new voucher would be funded directly from general revenue.
  The Florida Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue. In its 2006 ruling in the case of Bush v. Holmes, the Court declared:

  “The diversion of money not only reduces public funds for public education but also uses public funds to provide for an alternative education in private schools that are not subject to the ‘uniformity’ requirements for public schools.”

• Supporters of the voucher refer to it as a way to help “low-income students,” but a family of four with an income of $77,250 would be eligible for the voucher in the 2019-20 school year. By 2022-23, the income threshold is raised to $96,572—more 1.5 times the median family income in Florida.
  Our legislators must address the more than 10,000 teacher vacancies projected next school year. This means increasing the base student allocation so teachers and staff can get the raises they deserve.
  While the current accountability system is flawed, we strongly believe in accountability. All schools that receives taxpayer dollars should be held to the same meaningful accountability standards. To do otherwise is a disservice not only to the students who attend the unaccountable schools but to the taxpayers who fund them.