In the closely contested race for governor in Florida, the incumbent Republican, Gov. Rick Scott, and the Democratic challenger and former Gov. Charlie Crist, are both vying to show their support for schools that have been affected by the recent recession. However, underlying this campaign rhetoric are long-term policy questions surrounding the allocation of state school aid, the growth of educational choice, and school accountability.
If Mr. Crist is elected, he may find common ground with the legislature, which is expected to remain under GOP control, in increasing state financial aid. However, his Democratic allies, including the Florida Education Association, may prefer him to block Republican initiatives, given their previous disputes over teacher evaluations and school choice.
On the other hand, if Gov. Scott is re-elected, he would likely face pressure from his party’s lawmakers to continue expanding school choice scholarships, virtual education, and other policy changes that were implemented by former Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican who held office until 2007. Despite negative rhetoric from both candidates, some educators see a positive aspect in the campaign with education taking center stage and consensus being reached on certain issues such as funding.
Voters in Florida hold unfavorable views of both Gov. Scott and Mr. Crist, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, with Gov. Scott holding a slight lead. However, they also seem dissatisfied with the state of K-12 education in Florida. A statewide survey conducted by the University of South Florida shows a decline in favorability towards local public schools from 54 percent in 2012 to 48 percent this year. Only 9 percent of respondents believe that Florida schools are effectively preparing students for life after high school.
Education funding is a key issue for both candidates. Mr. Crist has criticized Gov. Scott’s initial proposed budget in 2011, which included a $3.3 billion cut to K-12 education. The final budget passed by the legislature included a $1.3 billion cut. Mr. Crist has pledged to set a new record for per-pupil spending, surpassing the level of $6,937. He claims that during his time as governor, in the midst of the Great Recession, he spent more on per-pupil spending than Gov. Scott. However, the national recession began after Mr. Crist signed the 2008 budget.
Waiting for Mr. Crist at a campaign event, Democratic state Sen. Darren Soto criticized Gov. Scott for not surpassing the per-student spending record set under Mr. Crist. He expressed his belief that Mr. Crist would prioritize education funding.
Overall, the Florida gubernatorial race is centered on education issues, with both candidates making promises to improve school funding and performance, while also criticizing each other’s records.
Republican Ambitions
State Rep. Erik Fresen, a member of the Republican party and the chairman of the Florida House K-12 subcommittee on appropriations, expressed his support for increasing the amount of aid given to schools on a per-student basis. However, Gov. Scott’s focus on districts overlooks a significant change desired by Rep. Fresen and other Republicans: direct state funding for individual schools.
Rep. Fresen stated that under this system, principals would have the authority to determine how state funds were used in their schools, and they would be held responsible for the outcomes. This policy, according to Rep. Fresen, would allow regular public schools to function more like charter schools and strengthen local control by empowering individual schools rather than relying on politicized local boards.
Both Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida, and Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican incumbent seeking re-election, have promised increased financial support for schools while criticizing each other’s records.
"I have had many discussions with Governor Scott about changing the funding system to a school-site-based model instead of a district-based one," said Rep. Fresen in an interview. He believes that direct school funding is the most significant reform that could transform the education system in Florida.
Republican lawmakers in Florida also have other broad ambitions. State Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., the vice chairman of the K-12 subcommittee of the Florida House, envisions a future where the amount of money available for private school tuition through tax-credit scholarships is not restricted by a cap. Currently, the cap for the program is $357 million for the 2014-15 school year. Both Rep. Diaz and Rep. Fresen referred to Louisiana’s Course Choice program and its state-run Recovery School District as potential models for future policy changes in Florida.
"We need to break away from this idea of a monopoly where a group of experts claim to know everything," said Rep. Diaz. "We still have a long way to go."
The extent to which Gov. Scott would play a significant role in these policy shifts, including increased oversight, if he were to serve a second term, remains uncertain.
"Governor Scott has made a commitment to stay on board," Rep. Diaz said. "Although he may not have the same level of expertise in education policy as Jeb Bush, neither does Charlie Crist."
Among Democrats, most of the attention is focused on the initiatives proposed by Republican lawmakers that their candidate would prevent.
"Having a governor with veto power will prevent things from worsening," said Fedrick Ingram, the president of United Teachers of Dade, the teachers’ union for Miami-Dade County schools, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
As governor in 2010, Mr. Crist vetoed a bill that would have tied half of teacher evaluations to student test scores and changed how teachers are paid. However, that legislation was the first bill signed by Gov. Scott when he took office in 2011, and it withstood a subsequent legal challenge by the state teachers’ union.
Another challenge for Mr. Crist is a lawsuit filed by the state teachers’ union that seeks to halt the expansion of the income-eligibility limits for the Florida tax-credit scholarship program, which Gov. Scott approved earlier this year. While Mr. Crist had signed an expansion of the program while serving as governor, he has chosen not to oppose the lawsuit filed by the Florida Education Association against the most recent expansion.
Accountability Anxieties
Overall, both Gov. Scott and Mr. Crist have indicated their support for transitioning to the Common Core State Standards and aligned tests. However, Gov. Scott has emphasized that Florida has its own unique standards, while Mr. Crist has expressed general concerns about the role of testing.
The ongoing debate surrounding testing and accountability has gained momentum in Florida. Last month, a group of 11 Florida school boards voted to urge the state to suspend high-stakes testing. This decision followed a vote by the Lee County school board in August not to administer any state assessments, although this decision was later overturned.
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Original Text:
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Revised Text:
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