Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz have repeatedly touted that Florida has one of the best – if not the best – public education systems in the country.
However, the Florida Department of Education has yet to publish the 2023 grades for the school districts and individual schools. The original timeline had grades being announced in June or July, which is how it has been for over a decade.
The timeline has had this message for over six months: “Due to the transition from FSA to BEST, School Grades, District Grades and ESSA Federal Percent of Points Index baseline information will be released in the Fall/Winter.”
Are the grades too bad to publish?
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The Escambia Children’s Trust staff is recommending its board approve renewing 16 Out-of-School Time grants, totaling almost $4.7 million. This will be more than a third of the ECT’s entire tax revenue. See agenda.
Valerie’s House has terminated its ECT contract, effective immediately. The nonprofit will focus on its core services.
ECT staff has recommended not renewing contracts with Urban Development (YouthFirst Century) and the Children’s Theater.
The agenda packet has no data to show if any of the programs have improved students’ grades or school attendance. The board will blindly trust the staff analysis and roll the dice another year with taxpayer dollars.
Staff analysis? I looked at the often cryptic “data” submitted by each group to include the 16 that the board wants to rubberstamp for more public money. There must be some heavy political lobbying taking place behind closed doors. There’s little to no credible data in evidence to suggest that the public’s money is being well spent. If there is a Grand Jury inquiry, it needs to look very closely at the role of the board members and who they are working with behind the scenes. No rationale non-profit would ever give these groups so much money given the lack of evidence that it was well spent. The media needs to drill down even more into each of these groups. Ultimately, if Escambia County Public Schools doesn’t make students come to class and doesn’t teach those who do throwing money at the students to have them make wine cork birdhouses will not make things better. At the 35,000-foot level, it would be insightful to know the full scope of how much money is being thrown at so-called “children’s services programs” and the result. International Paper (IP) just gave out a lot of money to local organizations to include for children’s services programs. If a group is asking ECT for money, are they required to disclose what they have received or asked for from other governmental entities or a private group like IP? How does IP measure if its money is well-spent?
https://www.northescambia.com/2023/12/international-paper-awards-66450-in-grants-to-local-organizations