Charlie Crist: I switched on school choice because of Rick Scott

Where does Charlie Crist, the now-Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, now stand on tax credit scholarships for low-income students?

As governor, Crist signed the largest expansion of the scholarships into law, but as a candidate he has mostly avoided the subject. A few weeks ago, when asked by a Miami Herald reporter, he refused to condemn the lawsuit that the Florida teachers union, Florida School Boards Association and other groups filed Aug. 28 to end the program. On Sunday, on a Miami TV program, he acknowledged he has changed his views on the scholarship.

Below is a transcript of the exchange (at roughly the 5 minute mark) between Crist and the Channel 10 anchors.

Channel 10: “In 2010, when you were governor, you signed an expansion of the private school tax vouchers. That was something you were very supportive of. Now that’s in litigation with the Florida Education Association, with the union. And now you have said you are against those private school tuition vouchers. What was that change?”

Crist: “Yeah. Of course. It changed because of Rick Scott. As I said before, when he decided to cut $1.3 billion – actually it was worse, he tried to cut almost $4 billion out of education – but he actually cut $1.3 billion out of it. We can’t talk about vouchers, we can’t talk about charters, we can’t talk about diverting money from education, public education, until we get those cuts restored. That’s why I oppose it. I think it’s so important that we get focused, laser focused, on making sure we restore the cuts that, you know, had to have teachers be fired, laid off, after school programs cut. I mean, I talk to teachers every single day. I’m sure you do, too. We have a lot to do to get education back to where it needs to be.”

Channel 10: “So it’s a financial issue. And if the money is there, you would favor tuition vouchers, if the money for public schools is put back?”

Crist: “I’m not even going there now. What I’m saying is we have to get focused on restoring the cuts. And getting education back to where it had been when I was governor. And had the highest per pupil spending, even in the Great Recession. That’s what teachers deserve. That’s what our students deserve. If they’re going to be able to get good jobs when they get out of school, we have to give them a great education while they’re in school.”

Channel 10: “Charlie, you have sided with the Florida Education Association in this voucher fight. But there are a lot of African-American families, and especially clergy, in the state who believe that school vouchers have been a very good thing for black kids. Because it’s given them school choice. They’re allowed to go to a charter school, even a religious school. And there could be some blow back for you from black voters who say you’re wrong on this issue. What do you say to that?”

Crist: “That’s always possible. I don’t think you’re going to see that, though. Not in this race. Because what Rick Scott has done in the African American community and in the Hispanic community, in particular, especially when you look at Bright Futures scholarships. He has cut 50,000 of them out of the program. 50,000 scholarships gone. That’s like wiping out the University of Florida and it’s been most damaging in the African-American and the Hispanic communities in the state. Because they need the help the most to get a higher education.”

Editor’s note: Florida’s tax credit scholarship program is administered by nonprofits like Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.