Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Steve SchaleMay 17, 2015

These days, every conversation about Florida and 2016 generally starts and ends with the Hispanic vote – and for good reason. It is easily the fastest growing segment of the population. The Hispanic vote in Florida is critical, though I would caution election observers that it isn’t the silver bullet. Most GOP and Democratic strategists […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 17, 2015

They are a bright bunch, the class of 2028. The students in Emily Ellis’ VPK class at Lincoln Park Primary School are as warm and bubbly as any crop of 4- and 5-year-olds you are likely to meet, quick with a hug and big on teamwork as they work to “keep the Earth clean” raking […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 14, 2015

There were lots of great questions at the Studer Community Institute’s education town hall on May 5 in Pensacola. Questions about what skills our students lack when they go to Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida to further their education. Questions about how we can address the educational, emotional and physiological impacts […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 12, 2015

Cassandra Smith measures progress one after-school function at a time. One family literacy night, one book club meeting, one school program after the next. Smith is in her second year as principal at Lincoln Park Primary School in Pensacola, which serves slightly less than 200 students from preschool through third grade. The school was on […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 11, 2015

Cassandra Smith measures progress one after-school function at a time. One family literacy night, one book club meeting, one school program after the next. Smith is in her second year as principal at Lincoln Park Primary School in Pensacola, which serves just under 200 students from preschool through third grade. The school was on the […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 4, 2015

Stormwater – at least for now – is no longer a dirty word in Escambia County. The question is, how long will that last? Two years ago, talking about stormwater and low-impact design in polite company was a guaranteed snooze-fest. Now it’s what all the cool government officials are talking about. And for once, the […]

Shannon NickinsonMarch 12, 2015

Maybe this is how we do it. Most folks prefer their jobs announcements on the splashy side: Golden shovels, red ribbons, oversized scissors, the whole shebang. And there is something to be said for that. Lots of economic development professionals make their performance bonuses on the backs of those big scissors. But some of Pensacola’s […]

Shannon NickinsonMarch 5, 2015

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What have we learned from all of this? After spending months working on a series of stories about the state of education in the Pensacola metro area for the Studer Community Institute, I couldn’t help but learn – a lot. The days of the traditional 9-12 high school model may be nearing an end. Economic […]

Shannon NickinsonFebruary 16, 2015

Judy Bense was the one who brought it home. On Thursday, the business and educational communities got together to announce a new collaborative program called Greater Pensacola Career Pathways. The initiative is a partnership that looks at economic development through the lens of the education system with an eye toward building a strong, educated workforce […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 26, 2015

Pensacola’s business community made its pitch for the 2015 legislative session. Now it will be time to let the chips fall where they may in Tallahassee. At the recent Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Legislative Luncheon, chairman of the board of directors Justin Beck said the group had three broad areas of interest as […]

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Steven Schale: How Hispanic voters could swing Florida's 2016 presidential race to Democrats

Shannon Nickinson: Early Education Summit's goal is tax money to create Escambia Children's Services Council

Shannon Nickinson: What is the future of the Pensacola community worth to you?

Shannon Nickinson: How opening the door to parents revived one primary school

Shannon Nickinson: How opening the door to parents revived one primary school

Shannon Nickinson: After April deluge, Escambia County makes stormwater a ‘big deal’

Shannon Nickinson: Small companies also crucial to economic development

Shannon Nickinson: We need to do high school differently

Shannon Nickinson: Career planning starts at 13, not 23

Shannon Nickinson: Health care, taxes top business legislative list