Why this ad? 2014 Student Scholarships - scholarships.exploreu - Go Back to College with a Grant. Find Schools Offering Scholarships! Print all In new window UNions Suing Charter Voucher s Inbox x The Highlands County Tea Party via thehighlandsteaparty.ccsend 4:58 PM (5 hours ago) to me Apparently the public schools cannot compete with the Charter Schools so they try to put them out of business by invoking the strong arms. The Unions just cant leave what is working alone because they are not making any money off of it from teachers dues. SOCIALISM AT ITS WORST Florida School Vouchers a Success: So Teachers Unions Attack Posted on24 October 2014. Tags: educational standards, failure of education system, Florida tax credit scholarship,teachers union images (Editor: thereportcard.org As more and more public schools fail their students, many parents and their children are looking for choice outside the public school system. Choice can come in the form of charter schools, public schools that operate outside the stifling bureaucracy and are union free, and voucher programs. Florida leads the country on their highly successful tax-credit scholarships to private schools. The young Jacksonville, FL author of the article printed in yesterdays Wall Street Journal believes the scholarship program saved her). By Tenisha Merriweather By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had been held back twice, disliked school, and honestly believed Id end up a high-school dropout. Instead, three months ago, I earned a bachelors degree from the University of West Florida in interdisciplinary social science with a minor in juvenile justice. I am the first member of my family to go to college, let alone graduate. But this didnt happen by chance, or by hard work alone. It happened because I was given an opportunity. The difference maker was a scholarship that allowed me to go to a secondary school that was the right fit for me. I was lucky to be raised in Florida, home to the nations largest tax-credit scholarship program, a voucher program that helps parents pay for private schools. Heres the cool part: The scholarships are financed entirely by charitable contributions, which are offset by tax credits. So public funds are never touched. The program is serving 67,000 students this fall. Like me, all come from low-income homes. Most are black or Hispanic. And the evidence from rigorous studies shows that, like me, most of them were failing in public schools but are thriving in private schools. Despite these facts, last month the Florida School Boards Association and the states teachers unions filed a lawsuit to kill the tax-credit scholarship program. Should the suit succeed, nearly all the 67,000 low-income students in the program will no longer be able to afford their schools. Most will be forced to attend the same public schools that failed them in the past. Although 40% of Floridas K-12 students are now enrolled in something other than zoned schools-in magnet schools, for instance, or career academies-the only program the states unions and school boards are trying to eliminate is the one reserved for low-income students. Florida leads the nation when it comes to how well low-income fourth-graders can read. Yet being No. 1 still means that only 27% are proficient. I dont know why anyone would want to end anything that can better those numbers. But I would hope people who care about disadvantaged children would pause to hear stories like mine. I grew up with my biological mother and we moved around constantly. This really took a toll on my grades-Ds and Fs were the norm. My poor grades and the fact that I was two years older than most of my classmates angered and embarrassed me. I was disruptive and fought with other students. Teachers tried to help, but nothing they did seemed to work. I felt no matter how hard I tried, the results would be the same. Learning became a nightmare-a punishment for being a child. In the sixth grade I began living with my godmother, who thought it was important that I change schools. She knew of a local private school with an excellent reputation, Esprit de Corps Center for Learning in Jacksonville, Fla., but we couldnt afford the $5,200 annual tuition. Thats when a friend told her about Floridas tax-credit scholarship program, which enabled me to attend Esprit de Corps-and changed my life. At Esprit de Corps, making honor roll is expected and academic success is celebrated. This environment was very different for me. But something clicked. My grades and self-confidence rose. I believed I could succeed and people there believed the same. Learning was no longer a nightmare, but a gift I greatly appreciated. I worked hard. In the end, I graduated with honors. And yet, thats not the end. A different school didnt just make dreams come true for me. It allowed me to have dreams I didnt know I could have. Last summer, after graduating from the University of West Florida, I volunteered at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, where I learned firsthand about that countrys social-welfare system. This spring, I plan to continue my education at the University of South Florida, in its joint masters program in social work and public health. Im not sure which professional road I will take. I have options now. But whatever it is, I know I want to create opportunities for children to have a shot at a bright future. Just like I had. Ms. Merriweather lives in Jacksonville, Fla. The Highlands County Tea Party 4196 Smoke Signal Sebring,, Florida 33872 Forward this email This email was sent to firelthook@gmail by jenkan04@gmail | Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. The Highlands County Tea Party | 4196 Smoke Signal | Sebring, | FL | 33872 Click here to Reply or Forward Why this ad?Ads – 2014 Student Scholarships Go Back to College with a Grant. Find Schools Offering Scholarships! scholarships.exploreu 0.59 GB (3%) of 15 GB used Manage ©2014 Google - Terms & Privacy Last account activity: 6 hours ago Details John Nelsons profile photo John Nelson Friends Show details Ads Attention Teachers Tired of expensive union dues? Learn about your options at AAE. aaeteachers.org University of Phoenix Official Site. Online Programs. Flexible Scheduling. Get Info. phoenix.edu Hey, Sandra Bullock Lied Her Fans Are In Shock. 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Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 02:35:06 +0000