Introducing: The Floridation of Arizona Education

by David Safier

 Florida has become Arizona conservatives' educational role model. Some of the education bills R legislators have put forward this year are direct imitations of what's going on in Florida. The primary reason conservatives have focused on that state's educational reforms is, Goldwater Institute's Matthew Ladner has been touting the "Florida miracle" for years.

Because Ladner seems to be the only person in Arizona who knows much about Florida's education system — or at least the only person who talks about it — he's had free rein to spin the subject to his heart's content. As I've noted repeatedly, Ladner isn't a researcher/scholar. He's a researcher/propagandist. He'll only give you the information that furthers his predetermined agenda. That's as true of his Florida narrative as it is of everything else he touches.

I'm hoping to challenge Ladner's monopoly by weighing in on the subject. I've done my best to learn the history of Florida's recent educational reforms. Some time next week, I plan to put together a lengthy discussion of the topic, so Ladner doesn't have exclusive rights to the information.

For now, here's a sneak preview of what I'll be writing about.

Ladner rarely opens his mouth or puts fingers to keyboard without using the phrase "4th grade reading scores," and pointing out that Florida's scores have improved markedly over the past decade while Arizona's haven't changed much. That's factually accurate. For him, that's proof positive Florida's schools are vastly superior to ours and we should emulate the reforms they've put in place — or at least the reforms Ladner wants us to emulate. But there's much more to Florida education than 4th grade reading scores.

Here's a quick list of Florida education facts to help round out the picture.

1. Florida's weakest readers take the 4th grade reading test a year later than everyone else, because they're held back in the 3rd grade. Much of the increase in test scores can be attributed to the fact that those students are a year older and have had a year more schooling, not to an improved education system.
2. Florida's 8th grade reading scores don't show nearly as much improvement as the 4th grade scores, which suggests that much of the 4th grade bump disappears as students continue in school.
3. Florida's school drop out rate continues to be one of the highest in the nation. The increase in 4th grade reading scores hasn't changed that fact.
4. Unlike Arizona, Florida has pumped money into its schools as part of its educational reform package. Florida spends about $1,500 more per student than Arizona.
5. Unlike Arizona, Florida has dramatically decreased its class sizes. In the 2006-7 school year, Florida's pupil-teacher ratio was 16:1, while Arizona's was 24:1.

To decide if Florida's system of education is worth emulating, we need to talk about more than Ladner's simplistic mantra, "Their 4th grade scores are better than ours." Florida may indeed have enacted some worthwhile reforms, but the entire picture is far more complex, and any academic improvement is certainly far less dramatic, than Ladner lets on.

I have to say, I'm at a serious disadvantage going one on one with Ladner on this topic, or on any topic for that matter. Ladner makes about 3 times more than I made in my last year of teaching, and he has the might of G.I.'s multi-million dollar propaganda machine behind him. I, on the other hand, am sitting at my desk at home pecking away on my 4 year old MacBook. Ladner has written a book, published a number of articles and spoken publicly numerous times about the "Florida miracle." He's on a first name basis with Jeb Bush, Florida's governor when most of the educational reforms were enacted. I'm playing catchup. I'm on a first name basis with Google.

It may be that Ladner will be able to pick apart my arguments easily, given all his advantages. My only real advantage is that I'm trying my best to give an honest account of Florida's educational system, and as someone who has dedicated his professional life to education, I'm always on the lookout for good ideas, and am eager to debunk any flimflam I come across. Ladner, on the other hand, is often forced to defend the indefensible.

I hope Matthew Ladner will join our discussion, as he has in the past on other topics. I welcome his comments and criticisms. As he knows, I have never edited any of his comments on BfA, and I don't intend to start now.