Sunday, March 17, 2013

MY VISIT WITH GOVERNOR SCOTT MARCH 16TH 2013


"Governor let's work together, I have done my part as the first Florida parent to submit a Parent Trigger Letter to convert a public school to charter school. Please amend the 2004 Parent Empowerment Law with our language IN IT going forward."   As he listen intently, I elaborated that I had a terrible experience as PTA President and suffered governmental abuse, I was denied public record requests, I was not allowed to participate in the Feb 11th Parent Forum on school grounds and had no access parent/teacher mailing lists . Furthermore the Asst. Superintendent for school choice posted on our blog misleading information in a Q & A campaign that was reprinted from our blog, and distributed as take home material in students backpacks. All in opposition to our proposal using scare tactics of bussing off the island and waiting lists. Not to mentioned the saddest reality of all; I hand delivered my daughter's testimony in her own handwriting of being acousted and called out in classs by her Teacher. She was threatened that if she did not do her classwork she would be one the 395 taken out of the school. As my daughter cried, she shaked her head in disagreement repeating "What you are saying is not it not true! " A charter is not a private school and you do not have to take a test to get in." Meanwhile her classmates edge on by the teachers position chanted "Boooo No charter No charter!" The Governor replied by asking one question, "how old is your daughter?". I replied "11 years old, she is in the Fifth grade." The Governor did not look pleased.

"This present law is so un-American Governor!". I stated.  He listened , he took our materials and thanked me on behalf of all Florida's parents, he understood my effort was in essence a public service. 

note: The district formally said on this blog that 350 (+-) present K8 Key Biscayne students will be bussed off the island to a assigned locator school if the YES prevailed because the present school capacity is 981. Therefore The District can run at overcapacity and a conversion school cannot? Not True. The administration also stated claims that the new Governing Board of Parents can not demolish the (3) 57 year old buildings on McIntyre Street after we fundraise to build a new expandned facility for 1800 students on the southside of the property [as would be stated in our charter school application. Again not true becuase it is not likely to deny an application, considering that the School Board would have knowledge that the present school "has exceeded its useful life "as stated by 2008 Castaldi study. So, any public statement in writing and sent home , implying that the School Board will deny our Charter School application on those grounds is misinformation to scare a parents into voting No.

A rejected charter application of the first ever Charter Conversion in Miami-Dade County Public Schools would be subject to appeal to the Florida Department of Education on the basis premesed in the spirit Florida class size constitutional amendment passed in 2002 . Today our school the KB K8 Center is approximately 133% of capacity and below flood criteria for barrier island. Furthermore, The Village municipality passed an ordinance on Dec 09 2009 that mirrors a InterLocal Agreement signed by several municipalities and MDPS. It imposes on the School District strict limitations on un necessary transportation hardhips posed on parent's commute to feeder pattern schools. Once again the School District is not being honest or forthright to parents on Key Biscayne who are ironically their Mortgagors on the MAST@Virginia Key Expansion. This is no way to treat a partner.   

EXPECT SUCCESS.     Ó