Post by Moses on Jan 7, 2006 13:09:51 GMT -5
FLORIDA-VOUCHERS Jan-6-2006 (730 words) xxxn
Florida Supreme Court overturns statewide education voucher program
By Jacquelyn Horkan
Catholic News Service
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CNS) -- The Florida Supreme Court struck down the state's school voucher program Jan. 5 in a 5-2 ruling that disappointed Florida Catholic Conference officials.
The ruling said the Opportunity Scholarship program violates the state's constitution which guarantees all Florida students a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high-quality system of free public schools."
The voucher program, enacted by the Florida Legislature in 1999, has provided tuition vouchers to children in failing public schools allowing them to transfer to the school of their choice, including private or parochial schools .It has been under legal challenge since it began.
Although the justices declared the program unconstitutional, they allowed it to remain operational until the end of the 2005-06 school year.
D. Michael McCarron, executive director of the Florida Catholic Conference, said that although the ruling was "a setback for hundreds of families and their children," at least the "scholarship students will be afforded the opportunity to remain in the schools of their parents' choice this school year."
"Our primary concern continues to be for the children who transferred to Catholic and other nonpublic schools on Opportunity Scholarships," McCarron said.
McCarron said he is hopeful that future school-choice legislation, perhaps in combination with private subsidies, may allow for Opportunity Scholarship students to continue their education in Catholic and other nonpublic schools beyond this school year.
"My kids would be devastated without these scholarships," Angela Mack, a mother of six in Miami with two children using Opportunity Scholarships, told The Florida Catholic, diocesan newspaper of Pensacola-Tallahassee. "They will not go back to the public school they left."
Justice Kenneth Bell objected strongly to the majority's finding and wrote that "there is absolutely no evidence before this court" that the mandate of a uniform system of public education is not being fulfilled.
Supporters of the voucher program argue that it has helped the state's public schools, as shown by test results for the 2004-05 school year. Last year, despite being held to higher standards, 66 percent of Florida schools earned an A or B grade, a reversal of the results in 1999, the first year of testing, when schools receiving D and F grades outnumbered those scoring in the top two categories. [huh?-- where is the data that shows the kids going to Catholic schools on taxpayer dollars brought these scores up?-- were these kids even subjected to the tests? ]
The justices declined to rule on whether the voucher program violated separation of church and state. [ Let's see, a political patronage scheme funneling money to the Catholic Church hierarchy, which discriminates against women --- not unconstitutional?]
They also did not strike down two other state scholarship programs that assist disabled and poor children or the state's universal pre-kindergarten program.
The Florida Catholic Conference, representing 173 Catholic schools participating in the three statewide scholarship programs, collaborated with two nonpublic school associations, two legal entities and the Salvation Army in filing a "friend-of-the-court" brief in support of the Opportunity Scholarship Program.
"The Florida Catholic Conference believes that the arguments put forth in the brief were compelling to uphold the constitutionality of the Opportunity Scholarship Program," said Larry Keough, associate director for education with the conference, the public policy arm of the state's Catholic bishops.
"Though we are disappointed with the ruling, we respect the integrity of the court and the rule of law it has handed down," he said.
Other reaction to the decision was split along partisan lines.
In a written statement, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said, "We are disappointed in the Florida Supreme Court's decision to deny hundreds of parents the opportunity to send their child to a school they believe improves their child's chances for success. The public never benefits from the government protecting a monopoly."
Democratic members of the Legislature applauded the ruling. "Thanks to the Florida Supreme Court, parents, teachers and children will no longer see tax dollars siphoned away from our public schools to pay for alternative education programs that lack adequate accountability," said House Democratic Leader Chris Smith. [that's not the issue! the dems seem intent on proving that they are dictatorial socialists- ve must haf accountability ov ze kinden! ]
The Supreme Court cited discrepancies in accountability measures for public and private schools as one of the items contributing to the lack of uniformity in the Opportunity Scholarship Program.
Keough said the Florida Catholic Conference has "advocated for uniformity of accountability in private schools," [yes-- let's complete eradicate freedom of choice for parents and really establish the monopoly of the elite opinion on socially engineering the US] and noted that "unfortunately not all private schools hold themselves to the same standard of quality that Catholic schools do." [Catholic Schools have been generally better at reading instruction but poor at math instruction]
This year, more than 700 students are using Opportunity Scholarships; 64 percent are African-American and 30 percent are Hispanic students. Bush says he will explore legislative and constitutional remedies to resurrect the voucher program.
Florida Supreme Court overturns statewide education voucher program
By Jacquelyn Horkan
Catholic News Service
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CNS) -- The Florida Supreme Court struck down the state's school voucher program Jan. 5 in a 5-2 ruling that disappointed Florida Catholic Conference officials.
The ruling said the Opportunity Scholarship program violates the state's constitution which guarantees all Florida students a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high-quality system of free public schools."
The voucher program, enacted by the Florida Legislature in 1999, has provided tuition vouchers to children in failing public schools allowing them to transfer to the school of their choice, including private or parochial schools .It has been under legal challenge since it began.
Although the justices declared the program unconstitutional, they allowed it to remain operational until the end of the 2005-06 school year.
D. Michael McCarron, executive director of the Florida Catholic Conference, said that although the ruling was "a setback for hundreds of families and their children," at least the "scholarship students will be afforded the opportunity to remain in the schools of their parents' choice this school year."
"Our primary concern continues to be for the children who transferred to Catholic and other nonpublic schools on Opportunity Scholarships," McCarron said.
McCarron said he is hopeful that future school-choice legislation, perhaps in combination with private subsidies, may allow for Opportunity Scholarship students to continue their education in Catholic and other nonpublic schools beyond this school year.
"My kids would be devastated without these scholarships," Angela Mack, a mother of six in Miami with two children using Opportunity Scholarships, told The Florida Catholic, diocesan newspaper of Pensacola-Tallahassee. "They will not go back to the public school they left."
Justice Kenneth Bell objected strongly to the majority's finding and wrote that "there is absolutely no evidence before this court" that the mandate of a uniform system of public education is not being fulfilled.
Supporters of the voucher program argue that it has helped the state's public schools, as shown by test results for the 2004-05 school year. Last year, despite being held to higher standards, 66 percent of Florida schools earned an A or B grade, a reversal of the results in 1999, the first year of testing, when schools receiving D and F grades outnumbered those scoring in the top two categories. [huh?-- where is the data that shows the kids going to Catholic schools on taxpayer dollars brought these scores up?-- were these kids even subjected to the tests? ]
The justices declined to rule on whether the voucher program violated separation of church and state. [ Let's see, a political patronage scheme funneling money to the Catholic Church hierarchy, which discriminates against women --- not unconstitutional?]
They also did not strike down two other state scholarship programs that assist disabled and poor children or the state's universal pre-kindergarten program.
The Florida Catholic Conference, representing 173 Catholic schools participating in the three statewide scholarship programs, collaborated with two nonpublic school associations, two legal entities and the Salvation Army in filing a "friend-of-the-court" brief in support of the Opportunity Scholarship Program.
"The Florida Catholic Conference believes that the arguments put forth in the brief were compelling to uphold the constitutionality of the Opportunity Scholarship Program," said Larry Keough, associate director for education with the conference, the public policy arm of the state's Catholic bishops.
"Though we are disappointed with the ruling, we respect the integrity of the court and the rule of law it has handed down," he said.
Other reaction to the decision was split along partisan lines.
In a written statement, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said, "We are disappointed in the Florida Supreme Court's decision to deny hundreds of parents the opportunity to send their child to a school they believe improves their child's chances for success. The public never benefits from the government protecting a monopoly."
Democratic members of the Legislature applauded the ruling. "Thanks to the Florida Supreme Court, parents, teachers and children will no longer see tax dollars siphoned away from our public schools to pay for alternative education programs that lack adequate accountability," said House Democratic Leader Chris Smith. [that's not the issue! the dems seem intent on proving that they are dictatorial socialists- ve must haf accountability ov ze kinden! ]
The Supreme Court cited discrepancies in accountability measures for public and private schools as one of the items contributing to the lack of uniformity in the Opportunity Scholarship Program.
Keough said the Florida Catholic Conference has "advocated for uniformity of accountability in private schools," [yes-- let's complete eradicate freedom of choice for parents and really establish the monopoly of the elite opinion on socially engineering the US] and noted that "unfortunately not all private schools hold themselves to the same standard of quality that Catholic schools do." [Catholic Schools have been generally better at reading instruction but poor at math instruction]
This year, more than 700 students are using Opportunity Scholarships; 64 percent are African-American and 30 percent are Hispanic students. Bush says he will explore legislative and constitutional remedies to resurrect the voucher program.