FEA Praises Crist for SB6 Veto

April 15, 2010                                                                           Contact: Mark Pudlow, 850.201.3223 or 850.508.9756

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Education Association President Andy Ford said he was heartened by the news today that Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed controversial and ill-conceived legislation that would have led to an unnecessary restructuring of the state’s public education system.

“We’re thankful that the governor realized what some lawmakers wouldn’t,” Ford said. “SB 6 was formulated without an ounce of input from anyone within the public school community. Teachers, administrators and parents weren’t consulted and their views of this radical legislation were dismissed repeatedly by many legislators. But Governor Crist listened.”

Ford said he believed that the proponents of the plan to vastly increase standardized testing for students, reduce local control of local public schools and to upend the teaching profession would be back soon to try it again.

“We hope that those who back this sweeping transformation of our public schools will finally come to teachers and parents, as well as school boards, superintendents and school administrators, and work with all interested parties in an open and honest attempt to achieve their goals,” Ford said. “What they’ve tried in the past won’t work. Forcing vast changes on a profession without a hint of involvement by teachers and other school employees has consistently proven to be a failure.”

But Ford said that he was doubtful that those who wrote SB 6 and rammed it through the Legislature without addressing concerns of the teaching profession would now embrace collaboration and cooperation.

“Teachers and supporters of public education have had their eyes opened to the lengths some will go to change the teaching profession and our public schools no matter what those in the profession or the public has to say,” Ford said, adding that the Legislature needed more proponents of public education among its ranks. “We’ll need to look carefully at candidates running for the Legislature this year and gauge their true support for our public schools.”