Late Summer Newsletter
Dear Member,
There are a number of important topics for members in this bulletin. Chief among these are issues related to the upcoming elections and the constitutional amendments. There are also topics related to the FMEA Clinic-Conference in January and deadlines for the component associations.
Election Information and Voter Registration
Constitutional Amendments
Amendment #5
Amendment #7
Amendment #9
FMEA Conference Information: Hotels
Deadlines and Events for members
Undoubtedly, as you review this information you may have questions and need more information. FMEA members are always welcome to call our office on these topics and speak with me – or welcome to speak with any member of the FMEA Board.
Thank you for your active participation related to these issues!
James Perry
Executive Director
Florida Music Educators’ Association
Florida School Music Association
Election Information and Voter Registration Link
The deadline for voter registration to participate in the August primary election is Monday, July 28. If you have not registered, please follow this link to find a voter registration form which you can fill out online and mail to your county office. County election office contact information is included at the link.
Most important dates:
- Primary election: August 26, 2008
- Deadline for registration: July 28, 2008
- General election: November 4, 2008
- Deadline for registration: October 6, 2008
Teachers historically do not vote in large numbers. We need to make certain that is NOT the case among our members and our booster organizations.
Primary elections can often be decided with a few hundred votes (sometimes as few as 100!) and every music organization can reach that many people. Registering and voting for arts friendly candidates is REALLY important – even in the primary.
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Constitutional Amendments – Nov. 4
Three constitutional amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot could change public education, funding for public education, and the system of public education, itself.
It is extremely important to read the explanations of the amendments carefully, as the titles related to the amendments do not necessarily represent the action taken.
These three amendments together, if approved by voters, will probably cut arts education from many public schools and will drastically change how education systems function:
- The public schools, as stated in one of the amendments, become the “minimum” for education and no longer the exclusive way the state supports education.
- Funding for schools could be changed dramatically and the replacement for $9.5 billion is poorly defined and many questions remain about how the schools would be funded. Additionally, while it would appear to be a bonus for property owners it is possible that the ways new revenue would be generated by the legislature could be more onerous than property taxes.
- By removing the prohibition between church and state, vouchers will be widely available for students to leave public schools and take the student funding with them.
The purpose of the three amendments is to allow the state to provide vouchers, so that state revenue for student tuition will be entirely portable – able to be used by any private or public school.
Please oppose these three bad amendments at the November ballot box and mobilize your network of boosters and community arts supporters, as well.
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Eliminating State Required School Property Tax and Replacing with Equivalent State Revenue – Amendment #5
Amendment #5 – “Replacement of ad valorem taxes required by the legislature with other funds for education” prohibits continuing to use property taxes (ad valorem taxes) as part of the “required local effort” for the Florida Education Finance Program. This removes approximately $9.5 Billion from state revenues.
According to the amendment language to replace those revenues, the legislature may
- repeal exemptions on sales tax
- increase of one percentage point to the state sales tax (would produce about $3 billion),
- reduce other component of the state budget,
- or find other revenues identified or created by the legislature.
While the amendment specifies that education cannot be funded in 2010-2011 for less than was appropriated in 2008-2009, there is no provision that education funding for future years cannot be less.
FMEA urges a “NO” vote on this amendment.
Link to complete amendment #5 language: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/12-6.pdf
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Religious Freedom – Amendment #7
Amendment #7 entitled “Religious Freedom” repeals the prohibition between church and state. The language specifically removes the statement that state revenue is prohibited from being used in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination, or any sectarian institution.
As there is little question that religious freedom is already available in Florida and the United States, the only purpose for this amendment is to allow unrestricted use of state tax dollars for vouchers to redirect state revenue from public to private schools.
FMEA urges a “NO” vote on this amendment.
Link to complete amendment #7 language:
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/12-8.pdf
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Public Funding of Education – Amendment #9
Amendment #9 contains two issues and the most important change is easy to overlook. It changes the title of a section of the Constitution from “Public Education” to “Public funding of education.” This section of statute is the one which has guaranteed a standard the legislature must uphold: “Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality of free public schools…..?
That sentence is rephrased by the amendment to read –
“This duty [education] shall be fulfilled, at a minimum and not exclusively, through adequate provision by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality system of free public schools…..”
Thus – the free public school system is reduced to a minimum system of education and is a “non-exclusive” method of providing education to Florida children. When this provision is coupled with the provisions of amendment #7, tax dollars will be enabled to flow freely into private and religious schools, simultaneously removing those same dollars from public school districts.
The second section which is widely touted as the key provision of this amendment is the 65% rule which establishes that school district must spend 65% of school funding on classroom instruction – a standard most school districts already exceed since teacher salaries are usually considerably in excess of 65% of any school district budget.
FMEA urges a “NO” vote on this amendment.
Link to complete language for amendment #9:
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/12-10.pdf
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FMEA Conference Information: Hotels
Members may begin making reservations for the FMEA Annual Clinic-Conference on the first Saturday in September. Please mark your calendars for September 6, 2008 at 9:00 AM EST.
All conference hotels have been instructed to open their reservation lines at that time.
If you have issues with a hotel and would like our assistance, we will need the time/day of your call, the name of the hotel person with whom you spoke, and the number you called to reach that person.
Please make certain that you do NOT use your personal debit card (attached to your own checking account) as a means of guaranteeing any reservation.
In regards to the January conference, please make your requests to attend early and make certain in-service training and workshops are part of your IDPD district plan.
The Pre-Conference will focus and connect topics of particular interest to music educators of a new century and ever changing world. The Pre Conference will continue our study of the expansion of the music curriculum beyond existing parameters, and reveal the model of a modern 21st century school music program. Included in such models are increased use of technology within traditional programs as well as stand alone music technology applications, increased access to of all students to an expanded curriculum including special learners and ESOL students, and the continued benefit of acknowledging and embracing changing learning patterns and physical brain function of the modern student.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines
July 30-Aug 2
FVA Summer Conference, Altamonte Springs, FL
August 7
FEMEA Workshop, Panama City
August 9
FEMEA Workshop, Lakeland
September 1
Deadline for FBA members entering All-State student applications
September 6
FMEA Conference hotels begin accepting reservations
September 7
Deadline for FOA membership for those entering All-State student applications
September 15
Deadline for campus membership in FSMA
Deadline for FVA membership for those entering All-State student applications
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