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ALEC Posts Library Of Pre-Written Legislation

Actor Alec Guinness. This is not the Alec you're looking for.

Depending on your viewpoint, the American Legislative Exchange Council is either a forum for lawmakers to discuss conservative-minded legislation or a secretive organization leading the charge to privatize public education. But the group is a little less secretive Friday after posting hundreds of pieces of “model legislation” online. The bills are templates lawmakers can adapt [...]

ALEC Report Card Says Florida Is A Leader In Education Progress And Reforms

Florida is the teacher’s pet in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) latest Report Card on American Education. The report ranks state K-12 performance, progress, and reform. Florida comes in 12th in the most recent rankings, but it’s one of the leaders in making progress. Florida is also tied for first overall in policy – [...]

Legislative Group Will Not Oppose Common Core Standards

The national switch to Common Core standards will continue to be a big story in Florida in 2013.

Supporters of new Common Core national education standards have won a battle within the American Legislative Exchange Council about whether to support or oppose Common Core. Over the weekend ALEC rejected a proposal to oppose Common Core, according to The Ed Fly blog. The vote is important because ALEC is influential among conservative policy makers [...]

Report Says ALEC Has Growing Influence In Florida Education Policy

The conservative-leaning American Legislative Exchange Council has a growing footprint in Florida, particularly education policy, according to a new report by a coalition of liberal-leaning advocacy groups. From the report’s executive summary: This corporate‐funded 501(c)(3) organization…has unprecedented access to lawmakers and to the composition of the bills they pass into law. Out of Florida’s 160 [...]

On The Origins Of The Parent Trigger

Former California State Sen. Gloria Romero helped write the nation's first parent trigger law.

Former California State Sen. Gloria Romero writing at redefinED takes education historian Diane Ravitch and others to task over the inspiration for the parent trigger. Why does it matter to Florida? Because the parent trigger was the most contentious education bill during the last legislative session and it’s coming back when lawmakers return in 2013. [...]

A Q&A With Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush testifies before a U.S. House committee earlier this month.

When former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks in other states about education, he points to policies he championed while in office. Bush recently spoke with StateImpact Florida about his role in the national education debate, why Republicans and Democrats can find common ground on education and what he’s learned . Q: Governor, how do you [...]

How Jeb Bush Stood Up To ALEC For National Education Standards

Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks to American Legislative Exchange Council members in 2003.

Last summer, a multi-state legislative group was meeting in New Orleans to hammer out a list of education priorities. The group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, includes both lawmakers and corporate members who favor limited government and free market policies. On their agenda in New Orleans was a resolution opposing the still-developing Common Core national [...]

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