Corcoran’s Aggressive Compliance Mandates Doom DeSantis’ Campaign Promise.
During his 2018 campaign, Governor DeSantis released an education platform, vowing to cut administrative costs, cut bureaucracy and redirect the savings into the classroom. Florida’s Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran, a Desantis appointee, is making the fulfillment of that promise next to impossible.
Released in September 2018, DeSantis’ education plan vowed to “Spend Funds Directly in the Classroom:”
To maximize Florida taxpayers’ investment in our students, Ron DeSantis will implement the 80% Classroom Spending Plan, which ensures that 80% of public K-12 education spending goes directly into the classroom. This will cut bureaucratic waste and administrative inefficiency and ensure that money is being spent where it matters most.
The “80% Classroom Spending Plan” was considered the cornerstone of DeSantis’ education plan. During his campaign, he estimated that cutting bureaucratic waste and administrative inefficiency would allow millions of dollars of state revenue to go directly into classrooms “where it matters most.”
It looks like Commissioner Richard Corcoran and the State Board of Education (FLBOE) never got the memo…
Rather than focus on cutting bureaucracy, Corcoran has embarked on an aggressive “comply or else” campaign, guiding his board to flex its authority, pass rules outlining long lists of district compliance documentation requirements, and threatening consequences to non-compliant districts. Increased reporting mandates, will result in increased administrative costs, draining funds from already cash strapped classrooms.
Did we mention? The rules do not apply to charter schools.
In July, citing First Lady Casey DeSantis’ “Hope for Healing Florida” initiative, the FLBOE passed a rule requiring 5 hours of Mental Health Instruction for every 6th-12th grade student. Prior to passage of the rule, districts were mandated to provide “comprehensive health education” that addresses “mental and emotional health,” without mention of required grade levels or length of required instruction. By December 1 of each year, districts will be required to submit an implementation plan (and post it on the district website) including the specific courses in which instruction will be delivered for each grade level; the professional qualifications of the person delivering instruction; and a description of the materials and resources utilized to deliver instruction. By July 1 of each year, each school district must submit an annual report verifying completion of the instruction.
In August, again citing the work of Mrs. DeSantis, the FLBOE passed a rule requiring the documentation of mandatory youth substance use and abuse health education for students in grades K-12. Again districts will be required to, by December 1 of each year, submit an implementation plan (and post it on their district website) including the specific courses in which instruction will be delivered for each grade level; the professional qualifications of the person delivering instruction; and a description of the materials and resources utilized to deliver instruction. By July 1 of each year, each school district must submit an annual report verifying completion of the Substance Abuse instruction.
Following the August meeting, we wrote about the new compliance mandates in a blog titled “Heed the compliance rules… unless you are a Charter and then, nevermind.” We included the list of the Required Instruction (as mandated by FS 1003.42) that charter schools in Florida are exempt from teaching. The list includes a range of topics including Holocaust Education, elementary principles of agriculture, kindness to animals, conservation of natural resources, and the the sacrifices of veterans. We asked “Should we expect the FLBOE to spend the year, moving through the list of required instruction, expanding requirements and demanding proof of compliance?”
Apparently so.
In September, the FLBOE will be voting on a new rule requiring districts to “document” instruction of the remainder of required instruction law. Again, the law does not apply to charter schools:
Proposed Rule 6A-1.094124 Required Instruction Reporting
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/View_Notice.asp?id=22301190
(1) In order to provide information about the manner in which the prescribed courses of study set forth in section 1003.42(2), F.S., are provided by school districts, by July 1 of each year, each school district must submit a report to the Commissioner of Education that describes how instruction was provided for topics in section 1003.42(2)(a)-(n) and (p)-(t), F.S., during the previous school year.
(2) This report shall contain:
(a) The specific courses in which instruction will be delivered for each grade level; and
(b) A description of the materials and resources utilized to deliver instruction.
(3) Failure to comply with the requirements of this rule may result in the imposition of sanctions described in Section 1008.32, F.S.
It looks like local districts will spend a good part of their year preparing reports for the FLDOE… How much will that cost?
You can let the FLBOE know how you feel about this new rule by making a comment on the Rule 6A-1.094124 here. The comment period is open until September 16, 2019.
This is the comment that I submitted:
My children attend public schools and have received instruction in each of these mandated topics. This rule will not improve their education but the costs of this compliance reporting WILL direct funding away from their classroom. These required reporting mandates, which apply to district managed but not charter schools, are expensive regulatory requirements that can only be seen as an attack on district managed public schools. The costs of compliance to these regulatory requirements will further defund our children’s classrooms. Shame on you for this continued assault on public education.
Please let Corcoran and his appointed board know how you feel. Consider submitting a comment as well. Feel free to cut and paste our comment if you like.
If you live near Northeastern Florida, you could join other public education advocates and present your comments, in person, at the next FLBOE meeting in Jacksonville on September 20, 2019. Please let your voice be heard.
One thing we know for certain: increased spending on micromanaging compliance regulations will result in increased bureaucracy, not improved education. Corcoran’s continuing assault on district managed public schools will move districts AWAY from the 80% Classroom Spending Plan Governor DeSantis felt was necessary to “build a world class education system and prepare all Florida students for the future.”