Alex Sink for Governor: 11,800 Signatures and Counting
Over 11,800 signatures — in just three days. That is how many people have joined with me to call on Governor Crist to veto SB 6, the harmful proposal the legislature passed late one night last week which would take away the decision-making from our local school districts and let Tallahassee politicians decide what is best for our students and schools.
Governor Crist will choose to sign or veto the bill any day now. And I’m sure he is getting a lot of pressure from Bill McCollum and the Republican leadership in Tallahassee to sign the bill fast, before public opposition gets any stronger. Because Bill McCollum has already made it clear how strongly he supports these harmful proposals.
That’s where you and I come in. Now is our chance to counter that pressure with some of our own — and stand up for Florida’s teachers and students — before Governor Crist makes his final decision.
Across the state, Floridians are speaking out overwhelmingly against SB 6. Parents, students, superintendents, teachers, business leaders, and communities are making it clear that they are against this bill.
Why? Because the people of Florida know that every classroom is different and that we can’t afford this Tallahassee cram-down.
Yet Bill McCollum — the ultimate Tallahassee insider — is “applauding” this legislation and giving it “two thumbs up.”
Bill McCollum has the wrong priorities. But while he is looking out for the special interests, you and I are fighting for the people’s interests.
So let’s make our voices heard, today.
I’m running for governor to change a system that rewards political insiders and career politicians for putting their interests ahead of ours, but I can’t stop this bill on my own.
No one knows the diverse needs of our students better than our local school districts — and our local schools should be empowered to hire and retain and reward the best teachers we can get. Testing should be a part of their toolbox — but it is ludicrous to pin so much of our teachers’ salaries, and our children’s educational future, to two days of fill-in-the-bubble exams.
There is no way that a one-size-fits-all mandate — an unfunded mandate at that — does a better job at deciding how our students should be taught than the individual school districts, superintendents, teachers, and involved parents who know our kids best.
I know that, you know that, and thousands of Floridians know that — now let’s make sure that Governor Crist knows that.
Thank you for joining me in this important fight!
Sincerely,
Alex Sink
Florida CFO
P.S. We will be delivering this petition to Governor Crist’s desk tomorrow — please sign on now!
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