2021 Committee Week #1 – January 11-15
Here is what is on the calendar for the Florida Legislature’s Committee Week #1. All meetings can be viewed on The Florida Channel.
Seasoned education policy watchers will note that Speaker Sprowls has restructured the House Education Committees:
- The House Education Committee has been renamed “Education and Employment Committee.” This is significant as it suggests that the primary purpose of education is simply job preparation. We have always felt the education of our children serves a higher purpose.
- Education & Employment Committee is now back to having 3 subcommittees rather than just 2. In 2020, then Speaker Jose Oliva, eliminated the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee, leaving two
House Education subcommittees: PreK-12 Innovation and Higher Education & Career Readiness. - The newly named House Education subcommittees are:
Tuesday, January 12th
9:00 AM Senate Education
- Overview of State K-12 Scholarship Programs – By “scholarship,” of course, they mean vouchers. Last session, they passed a MASSIVE voucher expansion bill but, this being Florida, more voucher expansion is always on the agenda. Last fall, new Senate Ed Chair, Joe Gruters (R-23), suggested he would be filing legislation that would provide private school vouchers to families who object to their public school districts’ face mask requirements. In addition, committee member Senator Manny Diaz Jr. suggested last spring that he might be able to use the Covid pandemic to “accelerate” Florida down the path to Universal Vouchers/Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Neither senator has filed voucher expansion bills, yet.
- Overview of State Financial Aid Programs – this usually means they are considering altering requirements for Bright Futures Scholarships. You can learn about Florida’s Student Scholarship and Grant Programs here.
Wednesday, January 13th
9:00 AM State Board of Education Meeting at Daytona State College.
The FLBOE agenda includes updates on the Florida Education Foundation Update on Civics Initiatives, the FLBOE Strategic Plan, Teacher Salary Allocation, Office of Safe Schools and Progress Monitoring Initiatives, which includes “an overview of the VPK progress monitoring pilot that is underway, as well as strategies that are being explored by the Office of Early Learning to identify childcare deserts across the state.” (Recall that last session, SB1688, aiming to expand accountability and assessment requirements for VPK providers, was a legislative priority of Commissioner Corcoran which died in Appropriations. A similar bill is expected to be filed this year.)
This will be the first FLBOE meeting without Michael Olenick. Olenick served from 2015-2020 and was, often, the primary voice supporting teachers (particularly when it came to arming teachers) and traditional public schools. Without him, we expect little push back to Commissioner Corcoran’s pro-privatization agenda.
3:30AM Senate Education Appropriations
- Update on the CARES Act Funding for Education. For months, Commissioner Corcoran has repeated that Florida’s school districts have been slow to spend the half-a-billion dollars in federal CARES Act funding they received in August, implying districts have plenty of funding – which is concerning in a year where Covid will have a significant impact on the budget. Superintendents have pushed back saying districts were required to submit spending plans before the money was even awarded and districts must front the money, spend it and only then ask the state for reimbursements. In addition, districts have until the end of 2022 to spend its CARES Act money. Planned comments from Lake County Superintendent, Diane Kornegay, representing the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) at the morning’s FLBOE meeting (see above) address this issue:
“I would also like to take this opportunity to clear up a misconception regarding the status of unspent CARES Act funds. Many stakeholders are of the perception that the funds are not being spent, and therefore, school districts do not need the money. Nothing could be further from the truth. Superintendents developed plans to utilize these funds to meet immediate needs and longer term needs over the 2 years in which these funds have been authorized. Between expenditures and encumbrances, districts have obligated most of their original allocation. The remainder of these funds will be spent according to the plans developed by the superintendents, for items such as intervention services and programs, professional development, equipment, and part-time nurses and other personnel. – Diane Kornegay, planned comments
4:00 PM House Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee
- Discussion and panel presentation on identifying in-demand credentials that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs
Thursday, January 14th
11:00 AM House Early Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee
- Presentations and panel discussion on the science of reading and literacy-rich home environments. While no one can argue with the benefits of “literacy-rich home environments,” the “science of reading” is an ed reform buzzword which basically means “intensive phonics” and is marketed as a remedy for failed reading achievement (i.e. low standardized test scores). The debate around the “science of reading” is part of the so-called “Reading Wars.” You can read more about the controversy here and here.
The House “Education and Employment Committee” and the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee are not scheduled to meet this week.
Remember, there are new Covid protocols affecting public comment at committee meetings:
- For the Senate Meetings, public testimony will be received at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
- Regarding the House subcommittee meetings: “As no filed bills or draft legislation will be considered at this meeting, public testimony will not be solicited and seating will be limited to the Members, invited presenters, and the press.” Citizens are encouraged to contact legislators before the meetings if they want to provide input.