Bill McCollum Announces Education Solutions for Florida’s 21st Century Economy

Jupiter, FL – Today, following a tour of The Scripps Research Institute, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum announced his solutions to create a 21st century education system for Florida, a key part of his economic and job creation agenda for the Sunshine State, entitled “Real Solutions. New Jobs: A Roadmap for Florida’s Future.”

“The quality of Florida’s education system is the cornerstone of our economy. The talent and breadth of our workforce today will determine the businesses and private sector investment we attract tomorrow,” said Attorney General Bill McCollum. “Under the leadership of former Governor Jeb Bush, Florida has made substantial gains, but it is time to continue our progress. We will not secure or improve Florida’s long-term economic prospects unless we ensure every single Florida student, regardless of location or background, has access to a quality education that enables him or her to be competitive in today’s global economy.”

Attorney General McCollum’s education agenda is the roadmap Florida needs to dramatically improve our schools and better prepare Florida students for college and the workforce. It is based on ensuring that all students can achieve successful outcomes when provided the right tools.

Bill McCollum’s education policy agenda will raise student achievement by:
•    Basing policy decisions on measurable, quantitative results to judge progress.
•    Expecting high standards – Florida’s students deserve to achieve a year’s worth of learning to progress each and every year.
•    Rewarding improvement and achievement, for students, teachers and schools alike.
•    Empowering students and parents through choice, and creating more competition in funding for both schools and scholarships.

“Education is Floridians’ pathway to a greater quality of life and key to achieving a prosperous long-term economy,” said McCollum. “Education cannot be separated from Florida’s economy, and under my leadership, we will institute the reforms necessary to produce better lives for our children and our state while boosting our workforce’s economic viability.”

At today’s press conference, Bill McCollum outlined his education policy agenda for Florida:

21st Century Education Solutions:
Bill McCollum’s Roadmap for Florida’s Future

Pre-Kindergarten

• Develop standards for pre-kindergarten curriculum
• Increase the quality of pre-kindergarten teachers
• Collect data on pre-kindergarten use to improve the program

Kindergarten through High School

• Raise the standards for school grades
• Raise the bar on high school graduation
• Reform Florida’s approach to teacher quality, compensation and removal
• Provide teacher support structures
• Require specific subject area proficiency
• Create a merit based compensation system
• Phase out tenure
• Empower superintendents and principals to remove non-performing instructional staff
• Institute the High Performing Teacher Exchange Program
• Expand school choice and increase access to quality education for low-income families
• Leverage Career and Professional Education (CAPE) academies to increase student choice by providing professional certifications
• Connect local industries with school districts
• Corporate partnership tax credit program
• Fully deploy CAPE academies
• CAPE counseling for students failing high school
• Support Amendment 8 to “right size the class size”
• Extend full certification in Florida for Troops-to-Teachers and Teach-for-America teachers
• Better integrate technology into the classroom
• Eliminate barriers to virtual education
• Open Florida’s virtual education market to allow competition between service providers
• Require Florida high school students to take at least one internet based class

Colleges and Universities

• Incentivize greater STEM degree production
• Link education funding to graduation rates
• Produce more professional certificates, undergraduate and graduate degrees
• Refocus Florida’s financial aid programs to accomplish concrete goals
• Build incentives for performance into Bright Futures
• Encourage students to apply for federal student aid before state funds are awarded
• Provide greater flexibility for students to pursue graduate degrees
• Integrated financial aid solutions
• Develop stronger public/private partnerships for higher education in Florida

Workforce Training

• Prioritize targeted workforce training program funding
• Develop the Florida “Back to Work Program” through competitive funding for programs that target local industry needs
• Update the Community College funding formula

For Bill McCollum’s complete education policy plan click here: “21st Century Education Solutions: A Roadmap for Florida’s Future.”

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