, and House Speaker Will Weatherford thinks it has a good chance of passing this year.
after the bill was filed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great public policy. It empowers families. It empowers parents, gives them the choices that they need,鈥� Weatherford told StateImpact Florida. 鈥淚t engages them in the education of their children.鈥�
The measure enables parents at a chronically failing school to petition the school board for significant changes. Turnaround options include firing some or all of the staff, letting a charter school operator take over or closing the school.
The when a former Senate sponsor cast a deciding vote against the bill. The House approved the bill.
. The main difference this time, according to Senate President Don Gaetz, is in the makeup of the Florida Legislature.
鈥淪ome of those who vociferously opposed the parent empowerment legislation last year were termed out of the Senate, and we have some new senators,鈥� Gaetz said. 鈥淭he concept of allowing parents more control over their children鈥檚 schools has got to be a concept that we believe in if we believe in the power of neighborhoods and in the power of parents and in the responsibility for their children鈥檚 education.鈥�
Opponents of the legislation say it benefits for-profit companies, could privatize public facilities and gives control to people who may have little educational experience.
But Weatherford notes that has rarely been used.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a parental empowerment tool that exists only in extreme cases but still is there in case we ever find ourselves in that position,鈥� Weatherford said.
Weatherford said kids shouldn鈥檛 be destined to attend a failing school just because of their address.
鈥淚f there is a habitually failing school 鈥� for whatever the reason 鈥� there should be options for the parents of those students,鈥� Weatherford said.
鈥淲hether that鈥檚 a charter school, whether that鈥檚 a changing of the administration, there are lots of different options we can give those parents,鈥� Weatherford said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really just saying that we鈥檙e not going to accept failing schools for anybody.鈥�
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