The Florida Board of Education voted 4 to 3 last week to prevent school grades from dropping more than one letter this year.
The state is raising academic standards and changing the school grading formula. As a result, a plummet in school grades was expected. Allies of Gov. Rick Scott support the decision.
Tia Mitchell in the Herald/Times Tallahassee bureau says the board members who voted “no” are closely aligned with former Governor Jeb Bush.
“Former Gov. Bush still carries a lot of weight. His foundation is very active behind the scenes", Mitchell said. "So there's a little bit of struggle because Gov. Scott is running for reelection next year, and more failing schools is not the kind of line that you want when you're running for reelection and want to tout your education policy.”
Bush and the Foundation for Florida's Future oppose the temporary safety net. They say the bar is being raised, and it's up to schools to meet the new standards. The school grading system began during Bush's administration.