Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschApril 17, 2014

Remember those required college courses where you could take the “same” class from any number of different professors? I was in one of those, a lower-level course on American government that had multiple sections. The course was a prerequisite for a number of other classes I wanted to take. My instructor wasn’t easy. He expected […]

Peter SchorschApril 15, 2014

At least nine out of every 10 years, the timing of the Legislative session poses a double conundrum for Florida lawmakers. April, the most distractingly beautiful month in Tallahassee, also falls in the middle of the 60-day session. And so does the Easter season. Easter juxtaposes the most contemplative, self-restraining time of year with all of […]

Peter SchorschApril 14, 2014

Time was, all politicians up for election, whether it be to the Mosquito Control Board or U.S. Congress, had to submit a campaign treasurer’s report no later than 10 days after the quarterly period ended. This made the 10th of January, April, July, and October as eagerly anticipated by political aficionados as Christmas morning is […]

Peter SchorschApril 9, 2014

With lawmakers dressed in sweaters to stave off the cold and holiday displays set in the Capitol Rotunda, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli gaveled in a rare December special session of the Florida Legislature. Almost immediately after Democrat Charlie Crist unseated Republican Rick Scott last month in the most expensive gubernatorial […]

Guest AuthorApril 6, 2014

The Nation’s Report Card, published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, looks at the performance of 4th and 8th grade students across the U.S. It is the only assessment that allows real comparisons of Florida students to those in other states. It’s a big report. It has a multi-tabbed website full of data and […]

Peter SchorschMarch 31, 2014

Economics textbooks talk about “rent seeking” — the practice of obtaining benefits through the political arena. Typically, “rents” are gained via subsidies or tariffs. Today in Florida, though, the best example of rent seeking is via regulation — rules that benefit an industry by hampering its competitors. Much of the time these efforts are obvious […]

Peter SchorschMarch 30, 2014

The Florida Constitution gives the governor authority to grant pardons or commute punishments with the approval of two members of the Cabinet. But this doesn’t happen very often. Only six people in the past 10 years who were convicted of murder have had their sentences commuted. There’s a case making news now, however, on which Gov. Rick […]

Peter SchorschMarch 27, 2014

Every day in eighth grade, a special-ed teacher would come into our language arts classroom and pull two students out for what I assume was remedial English training. Despite being fluent in English and two of the smartest kids I knew, these friends weren’t expected to get what they needed from a mainstream classroom or […]

Peter SchorschMarch 23, 2014

In 1998, my own graduation from high school was still fresh on my mind. The good memories, the fresh start to life. But for many of my peers at the time, high school graduation had not happened. A startlingly high percentage of my freshman class never walked across the stage. This was true for high […]

Peter SchorschMarch 20, 2014

It’s been more than a week since Special Election left my life and it just hasn’t been the same since. After Republican David Jolly defeated Democrat Alex Sink in Florida’s 13th Congressional District last Tuesday, life was supposed to return to normal. The direct mail stopped arriving. The grainy, black-and-white television commercials are no longer […]

Tag: Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch: Despite grumbling, why educational testing matters

Peter Schorsch: It’s the season for legislators to build on state’s education success

Peter Schorsch: Too much money data makes it tough to determine who’s winning

Peter Schorsch: Here’s what a December special session might look like

Peter Schorsch: Reports shows that Fla. students are performing well

Peter Schorsch: Tribe’s opposition to point-of-sale lotto tickets seems impolitic

Peter Schorsch: Scott and Cabinet should pardon deaf man wrongfully convicted

Peter Schorsch: Florida schools have closed Hispanic achievement gap

Peter Schorsch: Florida making progress in education, but few realize it

Peter Schorsch: Special Election was a November-to-March affair to remember