Good points all, imo.

Florida has good funding, they just don't spend it right. We were given the option of voting in the Lottery with the proceeds going to Education. Even though our State Constitution prohibited us doing that, it was voted in. What did the legislature do? Took the lottery monies and reduced the normal spending from the general fund by that same amount! They cheated us. Ok, so we adjust the lottery and it makes more money...and now they've cut our educational budget ..the BUDGET mind you, because of the Federal cuts. And so we're stuck with no enough money, a pitiful budget for education, AND the costs of those spending monies they can't afford to lose, on playing a gambling game.

I'm all for parents moving their children to schools that educate! It's one way they can have a voice. I don't support the idea that african, european, or latino students have to be stuck in any ghetto school with a lower budget than other schools just because of the location. Everyone deserves the best education available, and if the only way to vote on it is to move schools so the local schools go under, so be it! More power to them!

I've always been leery as I said, of removing Christian and other faith students entirely from the system. Now that the USA is bending over backwards to accommodate the Muslim students, perhaps it's a good time for Jewish and Christian students to rejoin the mainstream system and also receive like accommodations? It won't eliminate all the violence and ganging but it will certain;y give a better level of civility for all to use as a goal.

I also think students and parents should be allowed to express their voices by quarterly evaluating the teachers...on paper! Any time I give a seminar, or educate those who do, I make sure a critique is part of the course. If such concern makes a difference on a week-long or even a one day course, surely it's more important to receive the feedback from the parents for a year-long adventure! IMO. Any teacher should welcome feedback. You toss the ones over the top praise, and those that are only complaints (if either category only has a few) and go with the average comments. Perhaps the ones against this are those slackers who know they are cheating the students?

If a student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught. Pure and simple.