LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT

Educational Alert on Voucher Accountability
March 23, 2004

CALL TO ACTION ALERT
FLORIDA FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC PARENTS (FFCP)
And Interested Others

What:   SB 2978, the voucher accountability bill for the Corporate Tax Scholarship Program, will be presented in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 24.

Why:    A proposed accreditation provision will provide a much needed base line of quality and a safety net for voucher children who are enrolled in participating private schools. Accreditation is a private-sector driven method of accountability that has served credible, established private schools well for decades. Accreditation is required at virtually every level of education. At the post-secondary level, independent colleges and universities must be accredited by SACS before they can accept the scholarship funds from the Florida Resident Access Grant. Proprietary post-secondary schools must be accredited before receiving ABLE Grants. Universities must be accredited before receiving Title IV/Pell Grants. Engineering schools, medical schools and law schools among others are accredited. Law students can’t take the Florida Bar unless they graduate from an ABA accredited law school. Clearly, educators, from Pre-K through graduate school, recognize the value of  programs being accredited.

How to Help:   If your state senator is on the senate education committee (please see list below), please ask him or her to support Sen. Klein’s amendment for accreditation to be adopted onto the bill as a voucher accountability provision.

Senate Education Committee Members:
Sen. Miller, 813/272-2831;  Miller.Lesley.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Pruitt, 772/336-8000;  Pruitt.ken.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Sebesta, 727/563-0377;   Sebesta.jim.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Klein, 561/274-4777;   Klein.ron.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Constantine, 407/331-9675;   Constantine.lee.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Cowin, 352/315-9335;    Cowin.anna.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Bullard, 305/668-7344;  Bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Aronberg, 561/433-2627;  Aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Clary, 850/833-9159;   Clary.Charlie.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Carlton, 941/486-2032;   Carlton.lisa.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Wasserman Schultz, 954/704-2934;  Schultz.Debbie.web@flsenate.gov

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