Remarks at April 18^th School Board Meeting
By Karen Aronowitz
UTD President 

Ms. Hantman spoke of the Democratic values as treasured by our Cuban-American community and in fact shared by all Americans.  Democratic values hold at their core respect for the vote.

United Teachers of Dade has had to battle many legislators from our Miami-Dade Delegation who are seeking to gut the very provisions necessary to make the Class Size Amendment successful for our students.  Representative Marco Rubio speaks of changing this amendment as common sense.  I say it is anti-democratic.  Changing the class size amendment does not hold our legislators accountable for representing the will of their constituents as expressed through their vote.  I implore our parents, our teachers, our board members to call each of Miami-Dade’s senators and legislators and tell them to implement the class size amendment.  Having said this, UTD also emphatically supports the entire Miami-Dade School Board’s legislative agenda.  Our districts needs money to implement the educational vision we hold for our children.  We must attract and retain the employees for our school district who cannot remain in Miami-Dade if the costs of living here outstrip the salaries we can offer.  We cannot give the attention each student deserves in overcrowded classrooms. 

The costs of developing testing, and grading the FCAT is never an item of discussion in the legislature.  No amount of money necessary for that test is withheld.  Yet, the money necessary to ensure the success of our students in our schools is discussed and debated as some kind of frivolous option.  I am appalled. 

I say to our state legislators and senators – do your job.  Properly fund education as you were elected and entrusted to do on behalf of all of  Florida’s children and specifically the children of our county.