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sisyphusshruggedIn the final moments of this year's regular [Florida] legislative session, a bill died on the floor that would have allowed high school seniors who failed the FCAT to go to community college without a diploma.
But in a surprise move Friday afternoon, Gov. Jeb Bush put the bill back into play, asking the House and the Senate to vote on it Tuesday, the final day of a 16-day special session.
Bush's decision to add the bill came a day after thousands of protesters converged on his Miami office to demand that students be allowed to graduate with a diploma even if they failed the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Bush said that's not why he is adding the bill. Instead, he pointed to the cooperation he saw during budget negotiations between the House and the Senate this week.
The two sides finalized the state's $52.3 billion budget Thursday during strained negotiations.
"The legislature has worked diligently and effectively this session to address outstanding issues critical to our state," Bush said. "This bill will ensure that all Florida students have ample opportunity to succeed."
Bush's move could affect as many as 12,000 seniors -- the number the state estimates have not passed the FCAT and are unlikely to graduate with a diploma this spring.
That's a number that wasn't known when the legislature failed to pass the bill in the waning hours of its regular session.
It's also going to have a big effect on the state's community colleges.
"It will open the doors at PBCC at a time when there is a tremendous reduction in funding," Palm Beach Community College President Dennis Gallon said of the bill and the proposed budget cuts for colleges during the regular legislative session...
...and the trumpets blew for them on the other side.
Sort of a shame they don't have all that money they spent on the tests they're not using back. They could have maybe used it to educate somebody.
But in a surprise move Friday afternoon, Gov. Jeb Bush put the bill back into play, asking the House and the Senate to vote on it Tuesday, the final day of a 16-day special session.
Bush's decision to add the bill came a day after thousands of protesters converged on his Miami office to demand that students be allowed to graduate with a diploma even if they failed the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Bush said that's not why he is adding the bill. Instead, he pointed to the cooperation he saw during budget negotiations between the House and the Senate this week.
The two sides finalized the state's $52.3 billion budget Thursday during strained negotiations.
"The legislature has worked diligently and effectively this session to address outstanding issues critical to our state," Bush said. "This bill will ensure that all Florida students have ample opportunity to succeed."
Bush's move could affect as many as 12,000 seniors -- the number the state estimates have not passed the FCAT and are unlikely to graduate with a diploma this spring.
That's a number that wasn't known when the legislature failed to pass the bill in the waning hours of its regular session.
It's also going to have a big effect on the state's community colleges.
"It will open the doors at PBCC at a time when there is a tremendous reduction in funding," Palm Beach Community College President Dennis Gallon said of the bill and the proposed budget cuts for colleges during the regular legislative session...
...and the trumpets blew for them on the other side.
Sort of a shame they don't have all that money they spent on the tests they're not using back. They could have maybe used it to educate somebody.
