Author Archives: Bob Sikes

About Bob Sikes

A long time ago and a planet far, far away I was an athletic trainer for the New York Mets. I was blessed to be part of the now legendary 1986 World Series Championship. My late father told me that I'd one day be thankful I had that degree in teaching from Florida State University. He was right and I became twice blesses to become a teacher in the late 1990's. After dabbling with writing about the Mets and then politics, I settled on education.

IRS Targeting, the Atlanta Cheating Scandal and the Bush-Rhee High-Stakes Test Model

Posted on May 19, 2013

Imagine for a minute that the opposite is true and that the United States abruptly switched from a flat tax to the federal tax code we have now? Frightening huh? Yet this is essentially what the nation’s two top education policy-makers … Continue reading →

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Michelle Rhee’s Pattern of Deceptive Marketing

Posted on May 11, 2013

Just day’s after PBS reporter John Merrow blew the door off Michelle Rhee’s cover-up of widespread cheating that occurred on her DC watch, she looked for a like-minded crowd of education reform partisans for comfort and affirmation. What better place … Continue reading →

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Parent Trigger’s Contradictory “Parent Notification” Provison Returns

Posted on May 2, 2013

Just hours after Parent Trigger’s defeat on the floor of the Florida Senate, Sen. Anitere Flores inserted one of its more troubling provisions  into a charter school bill. Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel explains: About 2.5 hours after a tie … Continue reading →

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Debriefing Parent Trigger’s Defeat in the Florida Senate

Posted on May 1, 2013

Perhaps Senator Bill Montford said it best in this quote he gave Palm Beach Post reporter Dara Kam: Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat and former school superintendent, said parents already have the ability to make their voices heard. “The issue … Continue reading →

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PARENT TRIGGER DEFEATED IN FLA SENATE!

Posted on April 30, 2013

From Kathleen McGrory in The Buzz: The bill, sponsored by Sen. Kelli Stargel, would have let parents demand sweeping changes at failing public schools, including having the school transformed into a charter school.It had been watered down by an amendment … Continue reading →

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New Revelations in Stargel-Rhee Parent Trigger Petition; Senate Vote Today

Posted on April 30, 2013

A “weaker version” of Parent Trigger will be get a vote on the floor of the senate today. Writes Kathleen McGrory in The Buzz: The parent trigger bill hit the Senate floor Monday, and as expected, sparked some lively discussion. … Continue reading →

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Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition

Posted on April 29, 2013

Tuesday  morning update here As Kelli Stargel takes to the Senate floor today to defend her Parent Trigger bill, she will be wondering  whether or not it was  a good idea to get involved with Michelle Rhee. There were likely … Continue reading →

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Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures

Posted on April 28, 2013

NEW Tuesday morning update here (600AM CDT) Monday morning update here. MIAMI HERALD: On Sunday, The Herald/Times sent an email to each person who had allegedly signed the online petition. Of the 241 who responded, 212 confirmed their signatures…….But 29 … Continue reading →

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Bush Foundation Hides Behind Parent Revolution in Faux Parent Group Flap

Posted on April 27, 2013

Two separate revelations this week further unmasked the political scam that has become Florida’s Parent Trigger legislation. The first involves evidence that the petition that Michelle Rhee furnished Lakeland Senator Kelli Stargel is filled with people who never signed it. Scathing … Continue reading →

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Tony Bennett’s Desperate, Disengenuous Defense of Common Core

Posted on April 27, 2013

Sun Sentinel reporter Anthony Man was in attendance when Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett made a speech to Broward Workshop’s State of Our County forum on April 12. Bennett focused his speech on the sudden and unexpected debate that’s emerged … Continue reading →

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