February 04, 2007
DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
By JASON CAROS FLORIDA VOICE
One of the highest and most valuable objects to which the influence of a school can be made conducive consists in training our children in self-government.
-- Horace Mann
For a number of years now educators across America have been engaged in a concentrated effort to improve student reading proficiency, and rightly so. Reading is a gateway to the acquisition of knowledge and attainment of student success. Educators and policymakers must continue to focus their efforts in this area; however, they must simultaneously work in earnest to bolster another type of student literacy -- civic literacy.
Civics refers to the preparation students receive in order to understand and appreciate the important rights and responsibilities they have as citizens of the United States. Civic instruction has been, since the beginning of our history, an educational priority as recorded by George Washington in his final State of the Union address in 1796: "A primary object . . . should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing . . . than communicating it to those who are guardians of the liberties of the country?"
Is civics a priority today? Civic preparation should be fostered throughout a student's education and in a variety of classes but the predominant place for this instruction is in the area of social studies where students learn history, civics and government, geography and economics.
In a recent survey report produced by The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors and prepared by Dr. Patrick Coggins of Stetson University, approximately 1,800 elementary teachers from around the state were polled about Social Studies instruction and it was found that 68 percent teach social studies for two hours or less per week and only 2.5 percent teach social studies five hours per week (compare this to 7.5 hours of weekly required reading instruction). What does this mean for the "experiment in democracy" we call The United States?
De-emphasizing civics and history at the elementary level has important ramifications. Civics instruction in the elementary grades involves essential foundational learning. In order for students to acquire the civic skills and dispositions commensurate with a responsible citizenry they must first absorb essential civic knowledge. If neglected in the elementary grades, civic education begins at the secondary level in a remedial manner, often times preventing students from completing the step-by-step process that should culminate in high school with students engaging in more advanced civic discourse and activity.
This lack of instruction and learning contributes to the general civic ignorance and apathy prevalent in our culture today. It is obvious to anyone who has eyes that many Americans have no clue about the most fundamental historical knowledge or principles our nation was founded on. Connected to this is the fact that civic participation is strikingly low. For example, in the results of the most recent national assessment of U.S. students on history and civics, via a test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress, it was found that 73 percent of fourth-graders could not identify the Constitution from among four choices as "the document that contains the basic rules used to run the United States government." Ninety-four percent of students in eighth grade could not give two reasons why it can be useful for a country to have a constitution; and 91 percent of students in grade 12 were unable to explain two ways that democratic society benefits from citizens actively participating in the political process.
In a 2005 University of Central Florida survey of more than 1,600 central Floridians, two-thirds of respondents could not name our state's two U.S. senators, both of whom reside in Central Florida, and Florida's voter turnout for the 2006 general election was a disappointing 46.8 percent, about 20 percent less than the average between 1954 and 2004.
When looking at statistics of youth participation in voting at the national level, one will find that voting among 18- to 24-year-olds has decreased 12 percentage points since the 1970s, and in comparison to the rest of the industrialized and democratic world, the United States has the lowest voter turnout of all nations.
It should go without saying that civic education is at the heart of democratic instructional endeavors. The reality is, though, that civics needs resuscitation at the elementary level and therapy at the secondary level. We have many wonderful teachers at all levels fighting the good fight, but there are too many gaps in our current system.
In a bipartisan effort to help improve civic education in Florida, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and former U.S. Rep. Lou Frey recently presented Gov. Charlie Crist, state legislators, members of the Department of Education and educational organizations with a report entitled, "Enlisting a New Generation of Florida Citizens." It is my sincere hope that this report will lead to constructive dialogue and action that will strengthen civic education in our state. Florida's future depends on it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
"Enlisting a New Generation of Florida Citizens," a joint report from the Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida and the Bob Graham Center at the University of Florida, offers recommendation, listed below, for making civic education a priority . Tell us what you think. Write to Ideas/Civics, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, P.O. Box 2831, Daytona Beach, FL., 32120-2831; fax 386-258-1577, or e-mail letters@news-jrnl.com (place "civics" in the subject line):
· Make civic education an integral part of our public school curriculum: Florida's current learning standards treat civics as an afterthought. We must utilize the scheduled 2007 revision of the Sunshine State Standards in Social Studies to update and strengthen those guidelines so that schools give students all of the skills they need to be effective citizens.
· Test civics on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test: Florida currently examines students on reading, writing, mathematics, and science --in short, every core academic subject but civics and social studies. Without assessment and accountability, civics will remain under-emphasized. We must add civics knowledge and skills to the subjects tested on the FCAT.
· Encourage and support teaching of civics in Florida's K-12 schools: Students will not be transformed into active citizens without teachers who are properly trained and empowered. We must make civics instruction an essential part of teacher education at Florida's colleges and universities and help teachers already in the classroom enhance their civics teaching skills and methods.
· Lead the nation in textbook improvement: Because of its strength in the textbook market, Florida has both an opportunity and a responsibility to improve instructional materials in civics as well as other core subjects. Educational policymakers must make use of Florida's unique influence to update academic standards, build instructional coalitions with other states, and review our own textbook selection process so that students in the state and across the country have the right learning tools.
· Establish a strategic center for Florida citizenship: Civics education is currently championed by a diffuse and independent array of students, parents, educators, elected officials, public policy centers and advocacy organizations. We must establish and fund a center to support and help coordinate these efforts, monitor Florida's civic health, and keep us on track to produce educated and effective citizens.
Caros is president of the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (www.fasss.org) and K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Specialist for Volusia County Schools. He contributed to the development of "Enlisting a New Generation of Florida Citizens," a report led by Bob Graham and Lou Frey.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Legislative Report #8
Legislative Update # 8
January 12, 2009
TO: All Interested Persons
FR: Jack Bovee, Legislative Chair, FCSS
RE: Latest Legislative News
For additional information on Florida legislators or issues go to ONLINE SUNSHINE - http://www.leg.state.fl.us/
Greetings everyone,
The FASSS-FCSS Legislative Committee is working on an update to our Advocacy Toolkit for the coming session. As stated at this weekend's board meeting, many reports, editorials and other information may be found at the FASSS-FCSS Advocacy webpage at http://fasss-fcss-legislative-news.blogspot.com/ . If others are interested in joining the committee or serving as part of our 'grassroots' team, please contact me at your leisure.
One way to be effective is to begin collecting related articles and to regularly write to the local media about the importance of social studies and about our need to pass both a national bill to reform NAEP in time for the 2010 assessment and the need to have a social studies assessment plan for Florida.
Here is still yet another columnist sounding in on the dire crisis this nation faces with regard to ‘saving our national heritage.’ Although numerous reports are included here, including the NAEP assessment of 2006, aside from a couple of suggestions -- none of which would hold the states or public schools accountable for their civic mission -- little is offered. It's not surprising that Phyllis Schlafly, due to her conservative roots, would not advocate state accountability for the upcoming History and Civics NAEP in 2010. What, however, can possibly explain the silence of our national organizations on this topic? Until we have equity on NAEP or some other form of national assessment we'll continue to have foreign nations (Mexico) more concerned about discovering what their emigrants to the U.S. know about foreign cultures than our own government seems to want to know about its own youth.
If ANYONE can produce ANY letter from ANY national social studies leader on reintroducing for the FOURTH time in Congress an attempt to reform NAEP by giving us equity in holding states accountable for their civic mission, please do so! I don't want to slam the 'innocent' when I submit my diatribe on what's wrong with the 'state of social studies' to leading educational periodicals across the nation in the near future.
A better copy of the Schafly editorial is attached below. Also, the recent report by a Russian professor and former KGB intelligence officer about the imminent breakup of the U.S. is below. Many other reports about the dire crisis our nation faces are posted to the FCSS Advocacy webpage. One has to wonder when our former enemies are confidently predicting our nation's collapse – in part due to our crisis in national identify -- why our legislative bodies can't pass simple bills designed to assess our students on commonly agreed upon knowledge and understandings about our government, economic system and past history. Once again, it may be worth reporting that the US Department of Education requires each state to assess students on the equivalent of the 197 question Florida Youth Survey. In that survey each county is compared to every other on a wide variety of questions involving drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other social mores.
As a first step in "Advocacy" for the coming session, I urge all board members to contact their local representatives on H0013 on the importance of social studies and the need to pass that assessment measure. Moreover, as we remain unsure as to whether NCSS will have a list of questions to the members of the U.S. SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE who will shortly be confirming Secretary Arne Duncan in that position, I urge all local councils and interested persons to write, phone or minimally email these Senators on the need to pass the equivalent of S1414 (the NAEP bill). This bill, like two others before it (Senate 870 and S2721) died in the last two year Congress and will have to be reintroduced once again in the new Congress.
In either case, you might want to include the Wall Street Journal article about how the President’s Press Secretary and the room full of press corps members couldn't help but laugh at the Russian professor's claim about the collapse of our nation next year. Given the lack of any attempt to provide equity to subjects such as American History, Civics, Economics or Geography on national or state assessments, I’m not sure such reports are so funny, nor so implausible anymore.
Jack B.
January 12, 2009
TO: All Interested Persons
FR: Jack Bovee, Legislative Chair, FCSS
RE: Latest Legislative News
For additional information on Florida legislators or issues go to ONLINE SUNSHINE - http://www.leg.state.fl.us/
Greetings everyone,
The FASSS-FCSS Legislative Committee is working on an update to our Advocacy Toolkit for the coming session. As stated at this weekend's board meeting, many reports, editorials and other information may be found at the FASSS-FCSS Advocacy webpage at http://fasss-fcss-legislative-news.blogspot.com/ . If others are interested in joining the committee or serving as part of our 'grassroots' team, please contact me at your leisure.
One way to be effective is to begin collecting related articles and to regularly write to the local media about the importance of social studies and about our need to pass both a national bill to reform NAEP in time for the 2010 assessment and the need to have a social studies assessment plan for Florida.
Here is still yet another columnist sounding in on the dire crisis this nation faces with regard to ‘saving our national heritage.’ Although numerous reports are included here, including the NAEP assessment of 2006, aside from a couple of suggestions -- none of which would hold the states or public schools accountable for their civic mission -- little is offered. It's not surprising that Phyllis Schlafly, due to her conservative roots, would not advocate state accountability for the upcoming History and Civics NAEP in 2010. What, however, can possibly explain the silence of our national organizations on this topic? Until we have equity on NAEP or some other form of national assessment we'll continue to have foreign nations (Mexico) more concerned about discovering what their emigrants to the U.S. know about foreign cultures than our own government seems to want to know about its own youth.
If ANYONE can produce ANY letter from ANY national social studies leader on reintroducing for the FOURTH time in Congress an attempt to reform NAEP by giving us equity in holding states accountable for their civic mission, please do so! I don't want to slam the 'innocent' when I submit my diatribe on what's wrong with the 'state of social studies' to leading educational periodicals across the nation in the near future.
A better copy of the Schafly editorial is attached below. Also, the recent report by a Russian professor and former KGB intelligence officer about the imminent breakup of the U.S. is below. Many other reports about the dire crisis our nation faces are posted to the FCSS Advocacy webpage. One has to wonder when our former enemies are confidently predicting our nation's collapse – in part due to our crisis in national identify -- why our legislative bodies can't pass simple bills designed to assess our students on commonly agreed upon knowledge and understandings about our government, economic system and past history. Once again, it may be worth reporting that the US Department of Education requires each state to assess students on the equivalent of the 197 question Florida Youth Survey. In that survey each county is compared to every other on a wide variety of questions involving drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other social mores.
As a first step in "Advocacy" for the coming session, I urge all board members to contact their local representatives on H0013 on the importance of social studies and the need to pass that assessment measure. Moreover, as we remain unsure as to whether NCSS will have a list of questions to the members of the U.S. SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE who will shortly be confirming Secretary Arne Duncan in that position, I urge all local councils and interested persons to write, phone or minimally email these Senators on the need to pass the equivalent of S1414 (the NAEP bill). This bill, like two others before it (Senate 870 and S2721) died in the last two year Congress and will have to be reintroduced once again in the new Congress.
In either case, you might want to include the Wall Street Journal article about how the President’s Press Secretary and the room full of press corps members couldn't help but laugh at the Russian professor's claim about the collapse of our nation next year. Given the lack of any attempt to provide equity to subjects such as American History, Civics, Economics or Geography on national or state assessments, I’m not sure such reports are so funny, nor so implausible anymore.
Jack B.
Legislative Report #7
FASSS-FCSS Legislative Report #7
Emergent Design and Development, Inc.
Legislative Update
January 5, 2009
Happy New Year and we wish each of you a prosperous, healthy, and rewarding 2009. Things are going to be interesting in the Legislature, as always. Less money, more needs, special interests, along with the normal party politics will make for an exciting year. We will update you regularly regarding the Educational issues.
SPECIAL SESSION
The Special Session begins today (Jan 5, 2009). The purpose is to bring the Budget in line with the expected income. Currently the prediction is a shortfall of $2.3 billion.
The House will take public testimony from 1-5pm today. The overall calendar is expected to result in a budget passing each house by Friday. Conference Committees would work on the weekend (January 10 and 11). The budget would be printed by Tuesday the 13th, wait the required 72 hours, and have a final vote by Jan. 16.
During these two weeks, both Houses expect to have time to meet in their regular committees to work on legislation for the 2009 Session. Agreement seems to have been reached on some general guidelines:
No higher taxes on cigarette products or on alcohol
Possible adjustments to unnamed uses fees
Higher fines and fees related to traffic enforcement
Higher criminal and civil court fees
Transfer of trust funds
Reduction of appropriations in current budget
BRIGHT FUTURES CONCERNS
The current budget crisis appears to put pressure upon the Legislature to examine the costs related to the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Among changes to lower the cost of the program are:
Raise academic requirements for the program
Include family income as one criterion
Raise college grade point requirement for renewal
Raise credit hour requirement for renewal
Establish and freeze a flat rate for the scholarship
Lower the percentage of tuition and fees covered by the program
POWERBALL AND THE LOTTERY
Multistate Powerball in Florida starts this week with ticket sales beginning on Jan.4 and the first drawing on Jan. 7. Florida will be the 30th state to join along with the Virgin Islands and D.C.
Base jackpots will begin at $220 million and the average winning jackpot expected to come in at $141 million. (The odds of winning are 1 in 198 million vs. the current Florida lottery odds of 1 in 122 million)
Sales of the current lottery program have reduced by 7.5% since July. According to lottery officials, 40% of Powerball sales in Florida will go to the education system, 5% will be paid to retailers, and the rest will go to winners in the multistate program.
FCAT FIX
Last year, Legislators decided to ease the pressure of the FCAT on the grades given to Florida High Schools. It now seems that the fix has raised some concerns, especially among Florida Superintendents.
In a pilot program, State DOE officials have recalculated the grades given to High Schools last year, using the new system. One hundred twenty nine (129) High Schools would have dropped one letter grade. Twenty-four (24) would have improved. The number of schools identified as failing would have doubled.
We would expect to hear further reaction from the Legislature concerning this issue.
Bills of interest filed in the Florida Legislature are attached in a PDF
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Legislative Report #6
Our thanks to Bob and Mary Bedford and Jon Conley for the following update. This represents Legislative Report #6
Emergent Design and Development, Inc.
Legislative Update
December 15, 2008
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Full Appropriations Council on Education & Economic Development
David Rivera, Chair
Marti Coley, Vice Chair
Ron Saunders; Democratic Ranking Member
Faye Culp
Greg Evers
Anitere Flores
Richard Glorioso
Eduardo Gonzalez
Adam Hasner
John Legg
Seth McKeel
Dave Murzin
Stephen Precourt
William Proctor
Ron Reagan
Will Weatherford
Ronald Brise
Joseph Gibbons
Bill Heller
Evan Jenne
Martin Kiar
Geraldine Thompson
PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Anitere Flores, Chair
John Legg, Vice Chair
Martine Kiar, Democratic Ranking Member
Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff
Erik Fresen
Kelli Stargel
Gwyndolen Clarke-Ree
Education Policy Council
Faye Culp, Chair
Marti Coley, Vice Chair
Bill Heller, Democratic Ranking Member
Anitere Flores
John Legg
Seth McKeel
Stephen Precourt
William Proctor
Will Weatherford
Charles Chestnut IV
Martin Kiar
Betty Reed
PreK-12 Policy Committee
John Legg, Chair
Anitere Flores, Vice Chair
Martin Kiar, Democratic Ranking Member
Rachel Burgin
Clay Ford
Erik Fresen
Charles McBurney
Scott Plakon
Kelli Stargel
Ritch Workman
Dwight Bullard
Mia Jones
Rick Kriseman
SENATE
Education PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Stephen Wise, Chair
Gary Siplin, vice Chair
Larcenia Bullard
Nancy Detert
Rudy Garcia
Garrett Richter
Education PreK-12 Committee
Nancy Detert, Chair
Frederica Wilson, Vice Chair
Larcenia Bullard
Lee Constantine
Don Gaetz
Eleanor Sobel
Rhonda Storms
Stephen Wise
Select Committee on Florida’s Economy
Don Gaetz, Chair
Jeremy Ring, Vice Chair
JD Alexander
Mike Bennett
Dan Gelber
Mike Haridopolos
Tony Hill
Jim King
Ken Pruitt
Garrett Richter
Eleanor Sobel
Interim Committee Meetings – Week of December 15
The House and Senate will meet the week of December 15 to for budget hearings. The Senate was not scheduled to meet, but decided to meet on Wednesday and Thursday to begin discussing budget reductions for this current fiscal year. A special legislative session on the budget is expected in January.
Senate Special Meeting
The Full Senate met for a briefing on the budget and revenue projections. Here’s the bad news.
• Unemployment rates are climbing – ranking (by county) from a low of 4.5% to a high of 13.0%
• Population growth is slowing – growth hovered between 2.0% and 2.6% from the mid 1990’s to 2006, continuing to slow only reaching 0.7% in 2008.
• U.S. economy simultaneously buffeted by three major shocks: home prices have fallen across the nation for first time since the Great Depression (down 17% so far); financial markets are experiencing worst credit crunch since the late 1980s at best – maybe since the Great Depression; and U.S. recession is spreading globally, causing additional feedback loops.
• Florida has been particularly hit hard by two housing-related shocks: home prices and credit tightening.
• National inventory of homes is above 11 months.
• In Florida, excess supply of homes is likely greater than 300,000.
• Using most recent sales experience, Florida needs significant time to work off current excess of homes – January to March, 2010 is optimistic, and July to September 2010 is pessimistic forecast.
• Florida has 2nd highest number of foreclosure filings (54,324 in October) and 3rd highest foreclosure rate (1 in every 157 housing units).
• Recession is now reality and is longer than last two recessions – projected to last two more quarters.
• Florida will recover but revenue concerns are more persistent relative to some past events and economic strength will be slow to return; credit markets remain frozen; global recessionary conditions affect international migration, tourism and spending decisions, as well as exports; U.S. Consumers will be responding to massive wealth destruction and tighter credit conditions; and recovery in Florida housing market not anticipated until April 2010, at least.
• Five areas of concern: slower population growth; loss of wealth effect on declining home prices and portfolio/investment losses; growing home inventory; spreading credit crunch; and reality of national and global recession.
For the current fiscal year (2008-09), the current projected deficit is $2.3 billion. Assuming the 4% holdback is enacted by the Legislature which accounts for approximately $1 billion, an additional $1.2 billion remains. This must be addressed now in order to balance the budget.
For the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year, the projected deficit is $3.8 billion (this deficit is beyond any cuts that have been made this year).
Emergent Design and Development, Inc.
Legislative Update
December 15, 2008
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Full Appropriations Council on Education & Economic Development
David Rivera, Chair
Marti Coley, Vice Chair
Ron Saunders; Democratic Ranking Member
Faye Culp
Greg Evers
Anitere Flores
Richard Glorioso
Eduardo Gonzalez
Adam Hasner
John Legg
Seth McKeel
Dave Murzin
Stephen Precourt
William Proctor
Ron Reagan
Will Weatherford
Ronald Brise
Joseph Gibbons
Bill Heller
Evan Jenne
Martin Kiar
Geraldine Thompson
PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Anitere Flores, Chair
John Legg, Vice Chair
Martine Kiar, Democratic Ranking Member
Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff
Erik Fresen
Kelli Stargel
Gwyndolen Clarke-Ree
Education Policy Council
Faye Culp, Chair
Marti Coley, Vice Chair
Bill Heller, Democratic Ranking Member
Anitere Flores
John Legg
Seth McKeel
Stephen Precourt
William Proctor
Will Weatherford
Charles Chestnut IV
Martin Kiar
Betty Reed
PreK-12 Policy Committee
John Legg, Chair
Anitere Flores, Vice Chair
Martin Kiar, Democratic Ranking Member
Rachel Burgin
Clay Ford
Erik Fresen
Charles McBurney
Scott Plakon
Kelli Stargel
Ritch Workman
Dwight Bullard
Mia Jones
Rick Kriseman
SENATE
Education PreK-12 Appropriations Committee
Stephen Wise, Chair
Gary Siplin, vice Chair
Larcenia Bullard
Nancy Detert
Rudy Garcia
Garrett Richter
Education PreK-12 Committee
Nancy Detert, Chair
Frederica Wilson, Vice Chair
Larcenia Bullard
Lee Constantine
Don Gaetz
Eleanor Sobel
Rhonda Storms
Stephen Wise
Select Committee on Florida’s Economy
Don Gaetz, Chair
Jeremy Ring, Vice Chair
JD Alexander
Mike Bennett
Dan Gelber
Mike Haridopolos
Tony Hill
Jim King
Ken Pruitt
Garrett Richter
Eleanor Sobel
Interim Committee Meetings – Week of December 15
The House and Senate will meet the week of December 15 to for budget hearings. The Senate was not scheduled to meet, but decided to meet on Wednesday and Thursday to begin discussing budget reductions for this current fiscal year. A special legislative session on the budget is expected in January.
Senate Special Meeting
The Full Senate met for a briefing on the budget and revenue projections. Here’s the bad news.
• Unemployment rates are climbing – ranking (by county) from a low of 4.5% to a high of 13.0%
• Population growth is slowing – growth hovered between 2.0% and 2.6% from the mid 1990’s to 2006, continuing to slow only reaching 0.7% in 2008.
• U.S. economy simultaneously buffeted by three major shocks: home prices have fallen across the nation for first time since the Great Depression (down 17% so far); financial markets are experiencing worst credit crunch since the late 1980s at best – maybe since the Great Depression; and U.S. recession is spreading globally, causing additional feedback loops.
• Florida has been particularly hit hard by two housing-related shocks: home prices and credit tightening.
• National inventory of homes is above 11 months.
• In Florida, excess supply of homes is likely greater than 300,000.
• Using most recent sales experience, Florida needs significant time to work off current excess of homes – January to March, 2010 is optimistic, and July to September 2010 is pessimistic forecast.
• Florida has 2nd highest number of foreclosure filings (54,324 in October) and 3rd highest foreclosure rate (1 in every 157 housing units).
• Recession is now reality and is longer than last two recessions – projected to last two more quarters.
• Florida will recover but revenue concerns are more persistent relative to some past events and economic strength will be slow to return; credit markets remain frozen; global recessionary conditions affect international migration, tourism and spending decisions, as well as exports; U.S. Consumers will be responding to massive wealth destruction and tighter credit conditions; and recovery in Florida housing market not anticipated until April 2010, at least.
• Five areas of concern: slower population growth; loss of wealth effect on declining home prices and portfolio/investment losses; growing home inventory; spreading credit crunch; and reality of national and global recession.
For the current fiscal year (2008-09), the current projected deficit is $2.3 billion. Assuming the 4% holdback is enacted by the Legislature which accounts for approximately $1 billion, an additional $1.2 billion remains. This must be addressed now in order to balance the budget.
For the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year, the projected deficit is $3.8 billion (this deficit is beyond any cuts that have been made this year).
Friday, December 5, 2008
Legislative Report #5
Our thanks to Bob and Mary Bedford and Jon Conley for the following update. This represents Report #5.
EMERGENT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Legislative Update
December 3, 2008
1. SPECIAL SESSION
The feeling in Tallahassee is that a special session is not likely. Usually, before a Special Session is called, there is some agreement on the proposed outcome. While everyone agrees that there will be a significant shortfall for this year, there is not yet agreement on the possible next steps to balance the budget.
2. REVENUE ESTIMATING
The Revenue Estimating Conference has met and shared bleak news with Florida leaders. Chief Legislative Economist, Amy Baker indicated that the state is $2.1billion short of expected and budgeted revenue for the current year. She also indicated that the economy may not turn around for 2 years. Education leaders have suggested that districts may receive less money in the Base Student Allocation than they received in the 20065-06 school year. We would expect that discussions will include both cutting the budget as well as seeking new sources of revenue.
3. SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES
Committee structure and membership are currently being released. We are pleased that Senator Steve Wise will Chair the Senate K-12 Education Appropriations Committee. He will also be a member of the Senate K-12 Education Committee. (Senate Education K-12 will have their first meeting on December 10, 2008, from 9:00-11:00am in Senate Room 301.) We will send out a complete Education Committee for both the House and the Senate as soon as they are released.
4. COMMITTEE WEEKS
Proposed Senate Interim Committee Schedule
December 8-12
January 5-9
January 12-16
February 2-6
February 9-13
February 16-20
Proposed House Interim Committee Schedule
December 15-18
January 5-8
January 12-15
February 2-5
February 9-12
February 16-20
The first day of the 2009 Regular Session is March 3, 2009
5. Education Bills filed as of December 1
HB 0003 Relates to athletic coaches
HB 0011 Cigarette uses fees
HB 0013 Social Studies in the FCAT
HB 0017 Student non-traditional options for graduation
HB 0019 Deletes abstinence as part of instruction in human sexuality
HB 0012 Childhood vaccinations
6. SENATE SELECT PANEL
Today, Senate President Jeff Atwater named a select panel to analyze the Florida Budget and Economy and make recommendations for legislation and Constitutional amendments to jump start the economy. Named were; Senators Gaetz (Chair), Ring, Alexander, Haridopolis, King, Pruitt, Bennett, Gelber, Sobel, and Hill.
EMERGENT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Legislative Update
December 3, 2008
1. SPECIAL SESSION
The feeling in Tallahassee is that a special session is not likely. Usually, before a Special Session is called, there is some agreement on the proposed outcome. While everyone agrees that there will be a significant shortfall for this year, there is not yet agreement on the possible next steps to balance the budget.
2. REVENUE ESTIMATING
The Revenue Estimating Conference has met and shared bleak news with Florida leaders. Chief Legislative Economist, Amy Baker indicated that the state is $2.1billion short of expected and budgeted revenue for the current year. She also indicated that the economy may not turn around for 2 years. Education leaders have suggested that districts may receive less money in the Base Student Allocation than they received in the 20065-06 school year. We would expect that discussions will include both cutting the budget as well as seeking new sources of revenue.
3. SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES
Committee structure and membership are currently being released. We are pleased that Senator Steve Wise will Chair the Senate K-12 Education Appropriations Committee. He will also be a member of the Senate K-12 Education Committee. (Senate Education K-12 will have their first meeting on December 10, 2008, from 9:00-11:00am in Senate Room 301.) We will send out a complete Education Committee for both the House and the Senate as soon as they are released.
4. COMMITTEE WEEKS
Proposed Senate Interim Committee Schedule
December 8-12
January 5-9
January 12-16
February 2-6
February 9-13
February 16-20
Proposed House Interim Committee Schedule
December 15-18
January 5-8
January 12-15
February 2-5
February 9-12
February 16-20
The first day of the 2009 Regular Session is March 3, 2009
5. Education Bills filed as of December 1
HB 0003 Relates to athletic coaches
HB 0011 Cigarette uses fees
HB 0013 Social Studies in the FCAT
HB 0017 Student non-traditional options for graduation
HB 0019 Deletes abstinence as part of instruction in human sexuality
HB 0012 Childhood vaccinations
6. SENATE SELECT PANEL
Today, Senate President Jeff Atwater named a select panel to analyze the Florida Budget and Economy and make recommendations for legislation and Constitutional amendments to jump start the economy. Named were; Senators Gaetz (Chair), Ring, Alexander, Haridopolis, King, Pruitt, Bennett, Gelber, Sobel, and Hill.
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