Parents rally to save education funding

Angela Martini, a speech pathologist and parent, became politically active when she learned about potential cuts to Advanced Placement and other programs in Florida’s education budget. Despite successful lobbying efforts that restored funding, concerns remain about the overall education budget, which saw only a 1.73% increase to $15.8bn, falling short of inflation at 2.4%. Martini commented: “We won the battle, but we don’t want to lose the war.” Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, argues that the funding is insufficient to support public education, which ranks 48th in the nation for resource allocation. The budget also heavily favors private school vouchers, which have increased significantly, raising concerns about the impact on public schools.