Florida’s public education system faces an unprecedented crisis, with declining enrollment, teacher shortages, and a voucher program that has become a playground for profiteering while lacking basic accountability measures. In an interview on “(We Don’t) Color On the Dog” podcast, Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar exposed the harsh realities facing educators and students across the state.
The Missing Students Mystery
Perhaps most alarming is the state’s inability to track where children are actually receiving their education. “Last year there were 22,000 students throughout this state who were in public schools, but somehow appeared on the voucher roster,” Spar revealed.
The state’s solution? Split the funding between public schools and voucher programs, leaving districts shortchanged even after proving the students were in their classrooms.
In Orange County alone, officials can’t locate 3,200-3,600 students who simply didn’t show up this year. “They haven’t dis-enrolled from the public schools. They just didn’t show up,” Spar explained. “Does that mean they are somewhere else in the country? Does that mean they’ve gone out of the country? We don’t know.”
Teachers Under Attack
The hostile environment for educators has reached disturbing levels. Spar shared the story of a Brevard County teacher who lost her job for calling a student by their preferred name—the same name the student had used throughout high school. “The new commissioner (Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas) came in, said, ‘No, we’ve got to take that teaching certificate from that teacher and make an example out of her.’”
This creates an atmosphere where “teachers feel like they’re being attacked every day and they kind of are. It almost feels like a witch hunt,” according to Spar. The state has even established hotlines encouraging people to report teachers, making schools feel unsafe for educators.
Follow the Money
While public schools face increasing restrictions—governed by 1,330 pages of education law—charter schools operate under just 68 pages of regulations, and voucher schools under only 40 pages. Spar noted, “There is really no accountability outside of the public schools.”
The voucher system has become a cash grab, with taxpayer money funding “buying new furniture, buying big screen TVs, going to Disney, taking a family trip to Disney and calling it an educational experience.” Meanwhile, Florida ranks 43rd nationally in public school funding.
The Real Victims
Despite claims about “parental choice,” Spar argues the system actually limits options. As a parent himself, he pointed out the irony: “I want my daughter to take an advanced placement class on African-American studies… My daughter can’t take an African-American history AP course because the state of Florida won’t allow public schools to offer it. Where are my rights in that regard?”
The focus on adult politics overshadows student needs. “How about we talk about our students?” Spar challenged. “How about we talk about our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and our nephews? How about we talk about them and what they need to be successful?”
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