Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannDecember 15, 2015

There won’t be any major education bills expected in the 2016 Legislative Session, according to Senate Education chair John Legg. As reported by LobbyTools, testing legislation was one of only a handful of substantive bills that ultimately passed in the 2015 session. And for the upcoming session, set to begin next month, Legg said education […]

Melissa RossNovember 2, 2015

St. Johns County, Florida is known far and wide for its great schools. They’re so great, in fact, that everyone is moving to the county. That’s become something of a problem. Total K-12 student enrollment in St. Johns is up about 45 percent during the past decade. In that time, the district has built 11 […]

Marc YachtAugust 26, 2015

Poverty’s narrow definition relates to income and consumption but a much broader meaning is necessary to understand America’s poor. Federal guidelines qualify individuals and families by addressing income, but don’t provide an accurate depiction of needy families and their living conditions. The better understanding of the poor must look beyond income and at the larger […]

Marc YachtAugust 24, 2015

A recent Gallup Poll asked Americans what they thought to be the most pressing challenges facing the nation. The concerns were divided into economic and non-economic issues. It would behoove the current presidential aspirants to study the country through its citizens’ eyes rather than standard party politics. It’s clear the average Joe and Jane have […]

Melissa RossAugust 17, 2015

As former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush continues to take heat over calling Common Core education standards “poisonous,” Duval County’s superintendent is taking a more positive spin about the new state curriculum being unveiled this fall. “We’re going to see another level of instruction at the elementary level, especially when it comes to writing and reading,” Superintendent Nikolai […]

Jac VerSteegAugust 2, 2015

First, give Jeb Bush credit for accepting the Urban League’s invitation to speak in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Call it a politely hostile forum. Too many other Republican candidates lacked the guts to show up. Give Bush credit also for citing examples of his leadership that could appeal to his Urban League audience. For example, […]

Marc YachtJuly 8, 2015

Walkin’ Lawton Chiles may be the last of Florida’s governors who cared about Florida through action. He showed genuine concern for local families. During his tenure, necessary human service programs expanded, the environment had effective regulatory programs, public health flourished with strong programs regulating food service, sanitation, infectious disease, and maternal and child health. I […]

Associated PressJuly 6, 2015

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is suggesting Jeb Bush is out of step with Republican principles in the party’s presidential race. Bush departs from some conservative Republicans with his policies on immigration and education. The former Florida governor has said GOP presidential candidates should be willing to “lose the primary to win the general” election. Jindal […]

Peter SchorschJune 8, 2015

As any reader of this blog already knows, I am an unabashed fan of the work being done by Lauren Book and her organization, Lauren’s Kids. As a policy wonk, I really like what they are doing to educate people on spotting, preventing and reporting child sexual abuse. But as the father of the most […]

Associated PressJune 4, 2015

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, aides say, and plans to announce that June 15. Here’s where he stands on some of the issues likely to be debated in the campaign. Immigration Bush supports a system that would allow immigrants in the country illegally to stay, if they […]

Tag: education

Don’t expect major education bills in 2016, John Legg says

St. Johns County votes Tuesday on taxing explosive growth

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: Our country’s shameful legacy of poverty

Dr. Marc Yacht: It’s time that politicians listen

Nikolai Vitti: Florida Standards will be “another level of instruction”

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: The education “achievement” missing from Jeb Bush’s Urban League speech

Marc Yacht: Florida takes a slow, sad slide under Rick Scott

Bobby Jindal says Jeb Bush willing to hide GOP principles

Peter Schorsch: Be shocked – and educated – by Lauren's Kids poll on sexual abuse

Where they stand: Jeb Bush on key topics of 2016 campaign