Supporters of Florida Citizens Alliance:
We have a historic opportunity to monumentally change the course of our struggling public school system here in Florida. Today 50% of our high school students can not read and do math grade level, based on National tests. Based on Florida’s FSA test last spring, 75% of our 3rd graders can not read at a proficiency level of 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5. And, of course, we must stop the indoctrination of our children including sexually explicit material and actively promoting gender dysphoria.
Below is a list of actions every School Board in Florida can take without waiting for the State legislature to act. These actions are focused on improving the outcome of every student in Florida.
- Major commitment and focus on Phonics (NO student advances past 3rd grade who can’t read at Levels 4 and 5). Parents of k-3 students need to understand this without exception.
- Reduce, dramatically, the use of national publishers, instead, use public domain classics and originally sourced materials- This requires a massive training program and thoughtful grade-level rollout.
- Conduct a deep investigation on graduation rates (no way 90+% graduate with 40+% -50% unable to read and do math at grade level—simple common sense)
- Flip the business model (great teachers earn more than administrators)
- Implement the entire “Guardian” program
- Require unions to collect their own dues starting immediately.
- Reduce overhead by 20-30% initially (and then 5% each year) and drive administrators with teaching certificates back into the classroom with an appropriate pay cut and one-time bonus. (this requires a massive reengineering of the admin processes used)
- Need a way to gain the trust of the majority of teachers and principals (create a merit-based bonus for 2023, provide 2 -3 year contracts for highly successful Merit-based teachers)
- Implement a zero-based budget system starting in 2023-24 with an advanced commitment to the role back rate
- Establish a “zero tolerance” policy for books with sexually explicit, LGBTQ, and transgender content and use powerful electronic search engines to prevent them from re-entering thru purchases or donations.
- Extensive use of Workshops (restructure how organized)- more town hall format that engages parents and grandparents.
- Implement an opt-in policy for all sexually explicit content: Note 1 policy draft
- Implement a new supplemental materials policy Note 2 policy draft
Please complete this action alert that will be sent to your school board members and will encourage them to put the improvement of educational outcomes of the students in your county first!
