Trails in the Sand by Peter Traceit, the Street Detective
The trails are thick, but it makes the hunt all the more exciting. Ol Pete stayed close to home this week due to being under the weather. Being at home gave The Street Detective time to flip through potential legislation on the horizon in Florida. To Pete’s curiosity but not surprise, a bill was filed by Republican Representative Alex Andrade that would allow cities to file applications to the state to convert the public schools in their municipalities into charter schools. Jumping Jehoshaphat, Batman! Pete’s eyebrows are twitching. That’s a bold move!
While everyone Pete has talked to thinks this bill won’t pass, it is the beginning of a major shift in the atmosphere to dismantle public schools as we currently know them. As usual, no one has their eye on the ball. Traceit is thinking that while it may not pass this year, it will come back next year and the next with some small tweaks and it will eventually pass.
Pete is thinking that when charter schools made their debut, most thought it was a fad. Not paying attention resulted in charter schools popping up on every corner in almost every city. Some charter schools are great, and others are not so great. What makes Pete itch is that parents will send their children to school in a charter school in someone’s kitchen instead of one of Broward County schools?
Parents are taking their children by the hand and communicating their unhappiness with their feet and there hasn’t been much change in Broward schools to entice parents back.
Parents are more vocal than ever before and it’s not going to get better. There is no relief in sight.
Ol Pete won’t talk strictly about Broward because the charter movement is what’s happening for families all over the United States. Families want choice. They want to go to the buffet line and have it their way. They want voice and if they cannot get it where they are, Pete is watching as they move the pieces on the board to create the landscape of their liking.
Ol Pete surmises Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs and maybe even Pompano will take the bold step forward to run all schools in their cities. Fort Lauderdale, not so much.
Ol Pete is thinking New Pete might want to get the team together and get a handle on this. This should not be his legacy.
Speaking of the team, has anyone seen Dr. Valerie Wanza? She appears to be working behind the scenes and not at all out-front like in her previous role and Schools Chief and not at all like her predecessor, Jeff Moquin. Wanza has had a seat change and is under a new administration, but even Moquin wasn’t missing in action like Wanza. Pete is not sure if something is going on or “it is what it is”.
Ol Pete was surprised to see a Town Hall advertised at Parkway Middle with Super Pete, Jeff Holness, Senator Rosalind Osgood, Judy Marte and Howard Hepburn, but no Chief Wanza. All Pete heard for months and months was Wanza’s institutional knowledge and that the district could not do without her. From the looks of things, it might just be doing without her. Pete has heard neither hide no hair from Wanza. The Detective is asking readers if you’ve heard any rumblings from her, set Pete on the trail.
The Detective is feeling much better and will be getting back out in these here streets to get covered in dirt in a minute.
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