Walton County School Budget -- report from Sen Gaetz

[dgsevier]

Every person is different, yet our education system -- public and private, K-12 and beyond -- still wants to run them all down the same chute.

I hear your complaint, but it sounds like you're not speaking of FL.

I would contend that FL is one of the few states where "one size fits all" is NOT the case. In fact, FL has one of the most open-ended charter school laws in the nation. These schools are places where things can be, and usually are, different from the run-of-the-mill school. Innovation is embraced and respected. If your child goes to a charter school and you believe it's the same old stuff then there's a problem with that school, but not the overall concept.

Likewise, FL has the most innovative e-learning program in the nation. It is funded in a way that makes it a systemic part of a school district rather than a vendor-driven or add-on program. FL should be proud of its leadership in this area. It serves as a model for the rest of the U.S.

 

[Susan Horn]

I hear your complaint, but it sounds like you're not speaking of FL.

I would contend that FL is one of the few states where "one size fits all" is NOT the case. In fact, FL has one of the most open-ended charter school laws in the nation. These schools are places where things can be, and usually are, different from the run-of-the-mill school. Innovation is embraced and respected. If your child goes to a charter school and you believe it's the same old stuff then there's a problem with that school, but not the overall concept.

Likewise, FL has the most innovative e-learning program in the nation. It is funded in a way that makes it a systemic part of a school district rather than a vendor-driven or add-on program. FL should be proud of its leadership in this area. It serves as a model for the rest of the U.S.

While much has been improved in FL schools, I am indeed speaking of FL with personal experience as a former employee of the WC School District and as a parent of former students in WC public schools. The charter school option is wonderful, though the law has been abused and Sen. Gaetz is seeking to close those abusable loopholes; some charter schools are terrific, others not so much. The rural nature of Walton County compounds the issues, with our small resident population spread over a large area ...

FWIW both my sons attended SNS, one of the very first schools to be chartered in FL. Overall, a good experience for both boys and for the family, but I also perceived some serious shortcomings with the school that we were not able to solve during our years of involvement there. We still volunteer for SNS fundraisers, as do our sons, and have since the school opened. Just want to make the point that I am not standing on the sidelines griping. We are and have been actively engaged in public and community life here for years, and work for positive solutions wherever we can.

I confess ignorance on the e-learning program. When it was still fairly new, I tried to find ways for one of my sons to use it but I guess it was still being beta tested and not quite ready for prime time. Glad to know it's working well, hope it's got or will have some wiki/open-source features.