F.A.C.E. to FACE   F.A.C.E. BULLETIN 12/1/08     February 1, 2008 Dear Friends, Tallahassee Blitz Help Us Increase Your Child's Scholarship From $3,750 to $4,500 per year. Have your voice heard; if you don't, someone may speak for you... With your help, we believe we can make it happen! We know that in many cases your scholarship does not cover all of the costs to send your child to private school. Currently, families must pay for the school registration fees and any additional tuition over the $3,750 scholarship. We want to change the current law to increase the maximum amount to $4,500 and include all school fees. You may be familiar with our Tallahassee rallies but this year we are planning something a little different. Instead of our usual Tally Rally, we have committed to a three-day blitz Tuesday March 25th to Thursday March 27th . This blitz will consist of constant wave of legislative visits. We believe that this Tally Blitz will be more effective in passing the new legislation we proposed this session. The purpose of these activities is to convince our legislators that we need to increase the amount of the scholarship (from $3,750 to $4,500) and allow 5,000 new students to join every year for 5 years. In five years that is 25,000 students that will have a better chance of graduating from high school. Training will be provided to teach you, so that you how to effectively tell your story and express the need of your family to have this bill passed. Due to this change in format, children are not able to attend. This year we will be providing buses at central locations throughout the state that parents, teachers and administrators can board to transport them to this exciting event. Schools are encouraged to book their space for all that will attend keeping in mind students and children will not be allowed at this event due to the format. If you can join us for one of these days, we will provide bus travel and a meal; or stipend if you choose to travel on your own. You get to choose which day you can attend. We MUST have parents of scholarship students at the State Capital to be successful in the effort! Your involvement is so important! Please join us for the Spring 2008 Tallahassee Blitz! If you are interested, visit the website below or click the link below to sign up for more information: http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey.zgi?p=WEB227C7SVMURZ Thank you for Stepping Up For Students, Michael A. Benjamin Executive Director, F.A.C.E. Florida Alliance for Choices in Education St Petersburg Times http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/ January 31, 2008 'There needs to be an alternative' Public schools do a good job educating most black students, but in the cases where they don't, vouchers are worth trying, said state Rep. Frank Peterman (left), D-St Petersburg, the latest black lawmaker to defy his party's position and support a program that was championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush. "I believe in the public education system. I don't fall away from supporting that system at all," he told The Gradebook. "But in those instances where there are kids who are not doing well in that system ... there needs to be an alternative." Peterman, who was recently elected chairman of the legislative black caucus, is a co-sponsor of a new bill that would triple the size of Florida's biggest voucher program (see previous post here <http://mail2.floridapride.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2008/01/voucher-expansi.html> ). The state teachers union and other critics call the corporate tax-credit program a voucher program, but supporters, including Peterman, prefer the term "scholarship." "I don't see this a being a true voucher," he said. "There is no money going into the state treasury. I think there's a difference. I really do." Peterman took a leading role in creating the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, a statewide group that issued a report <http://mail2.floridapride.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cssbmb.com/> this month full of stark statistics. Black students, particularly black males, graduate at rates far lower than the overall Florida rate, which is itself one of the worst in the country. "Our kids, in some instances, are suffering ... and not getting what they need in our public education system," Peterman said. "We have to start doing something that's going to be innovative and impactful." Significant crossover by black lawmakers could ease passage of the new bill, which has the backing of legislative leadership. But it's hard to image anything having to do with vouchers sailing through without a fight. Stay tuned. - Ron Matus, state education reporter January 31, 2008 in School Choice Florida Civil Rights Icon Addresses Past and Present Civil Rights Battles with Students on King's Birthday By Lynette Johnson January 23--Over 500 students from The Potter's House Christian Academy attended Rev. HK Matthews' tribute to civil rights-both past and present this week. Matthews, a civil rights icon and minister, discussed his civil rights battles over the years and how he is currently dedicating himself to parental choice in education as an extension of his life's work. Matthews is a revered figure in the Florida civil rights movement and he marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Matthews then worked tirelessly in Pensacola and other Florida cities in the struggle for equality. In addition to highlighting history, the assembly celebrated the progress the civil rights movement has made and was also a mouthpiece stressing school choice, especially when it comes to low-income parents. Taking place on Dr. King's birthday, Matthews discussed his tumultuous battles over the years in which he was jailed over 35 times. Over 300 Potter's House students receive school choice scholarships. Jacksonville Free Press The Step Up For Students (Corporate Income Tax Credit) scholarship program provides K-12 scholarships that currently allow almost 17,000 low-income Florida students to attend an eligible private school or out-of-district public school. One hundred percent of corporate contributions go directly to funding scholarships - not a single penny can be used for administrative costs.   School Year 08 - 09 Income Eligibility Guidelines Persons in Household New & Add-Ons (185%) Renewals (200%) 2 $25,900 $28,000 3 $32,560 $35,200 4 $39,220 $42,400 5 $45,880 $49,600 6 $52,540 $56,800 7 $59,200 $64,000 8 $65,860 $71,200 9 $72,520 $78,400 10 $79,180 $85,600 11 $85,840 $92,800 12 $92,500 $100,000 13 $99,160 $107,200       For each additional person, add $6,660 $7,200       Effective from June 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009

 

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