by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
If the recently-completed session of the State Legislature was up for graduation, only a handful of the state’s lawmakers would be picking up their diplomas. Some members of the Duval Delegation would be a part of that graduating class, but the rest, according to Save Duval Schools — a grassroots organization created to monitor the Legislature and lobby for funding — would receive a flunking grade for their performance during the 60-day session.
“If the Florida legislators were held to the same standards as students, Save Duval Schools would give them an ‘F.’ We promise to hold the legislators responsible going forward,” said Deborah Gianoulis Heald, spokesperson for the Web-based organization that was also created by attorney and School Board member W.C. Gentry.
At one point, according to both Heald and Gentry, Duval County was on the verge of being millions of dollars short thanks to underfunding from the Legislature. However, an onslaught of e-mails and letters to members of the Duval Delegation and the entire State House and Senate prevented a fiscal disaster — this year.
“The Legislature is gambling with our future,” said Heald, a former longtime anchor at Ch. 4. “The new budget will rob each student of $125 and parents and teachers will have to make up the difference.”
The key, Heald said during a Wednesday morning press conference at the Arena shortly before the Lee High class of 2009 graduated, is next year’s session. Heald said members of Save Duval Schools — and the parents and teachers they meet with — are tired of hearing education promises and assurances only to see education funding become the first item on the chopping block.
“It’s time to call their bluff,” she said. “Until there is a dedicated funding source, we will not grant them a passing grade. We will raise the expectations for the 2010 session. We will hold all legislators accountable on our Web site.”
The press conference was held to call out the Legislature as a whole and neither Heald nor Gentry found much fault with the Duval Delegation. Gentry, who ran for and lost the seat occupied by State Sen. Stephen Wise, said the Delegation’s three senators — Wise, Jim King and Tony Hill — all did their level best to assure Duval County got its fair share.
“The School Board and the district is very supportive of what they (Save Duval Schools) are doing,” said Gentry, who went to various community meetings with Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals to talk about the affect a $125 million funding cut would have on area schools. “At every meeting people were outraged. They said, ‘When we voted for the legislators, they all said education was a priority.’ Now they are cutting it. Save Duval Schools was created in response to that. It’s a political issue committee.
“Sen. Wise was one of the champions for education this session. Jim King was an incredible ally. Had I been in the Senate, I don’t know how much more I would have been able to accomplish. We have strong leadership in the Senate.”
Gentry pointed at the State House as the catalyst for the state’s education funding woes. He said any kind of meaningful tax reform would have to start in the House.
“Many of them irresponsibly signed no tax pledges and now they say ‘no’ to everything,” he said. “They need to take the hard road in Tallahassee or come home and not be re-elected.”
Gentry said there are two things that could have an immediate impact on public education funding across the state: a one-cent sales tax increase and the lifting of all unfunded mandates.
Heald did praise the current students and teachers in Duval County. Despite being in the worst-funded state, Duval County students, she said, fared better than ever on this year’s FCAT exams.
“There was a lot of success in Duval County district wide,” she said. “There was a terrific showing on the FCAT, the best showing yet.”
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