Senator Wise, Broward kids, parents and teachers cannot wait another year. The volume may be muted but there are are cries for help from all over Broward.

Let him hear your call for help:

(850) 487-5027

 

“Tucked into a catchall education bill heard in a Florida Senate panel Wednesday was language to create a state oversight board to manage the embattled Broward school district.

Sen. Stephen Wise, a Jacksonville Republican, proposed an amendment to his Senate Bill 1696 to mention Broward and the creation of an oversight board. The bill, under the title “Public School Accountability,” deals with a variety of policies, including rules for middle schoolers to move on to high school and to screen new pre-kindergarten students.

The seven-member board — appointed by the governor, the Senate President and the House Speaker — would provide “advice” and assess the district, at the district’s expense.

“At the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Committee on Wednesday, Wise, the panel’s chairman, withdrew the amendment — for this year.

Wise said that because Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter announced his retirement Tuesday night, the senator would give the district until next year to “get their act together.”