Florida’s economy continues to change and a quality education is more important than ever before. Florida must be prepared to compete in the global marketplace and quality education will be our best economic development tool as we work to secure Florida’s future. The growing need for a highly skilled and educated workforce will only continue to grow over the next two decades. With The Florida Council of 100’s Closing the Talent Gap report showing only 76 out of every 100 Florida students graduating from high school and only 51 percent of those graduates going on to attend college, education is vitally important to our economic success.
The formative years of ages birth – five are key to children’s brain development. Thus, early education of the state’s youngest children is paramount. In 2007-08, 54 percent of Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program attendees were kindergarten-ready as compared with only 42 percent of non-VPK attendees. That being said, this means that about half of entering kindergartners aren’t prepared.
Working with partners such as the Foundation for Florida’s Future, The Florida Council of 100, Workforce Florida and other education reform advocates, Florida is leading the way for the innovative education reforms needed to cultivate a talented workforce with the skills to succeed in the new economy.
*Excerpts taken from the Florida Council of 100′s Closing the Talent Gap report.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is committed to help prepare Florida to compete in the global marketplace where a quality education will be our best economic development tool as we work to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber has spent many years battling the unions to stand up for Florida’s children and reform our education [...]
By Mc Clatchy News Service TALLAHASSEE — A controversial bill that would let parents demand sweeping changes at low-performing schools won the approval of two education committees Tuesday. Under the so-called parent trigger proposal, a majority of parents could petition to have the principal replaced, or even have a charter school operator take over. The [...]
By Leslie Postal Florida lawmakers want to give parents the power to dictate the future of poorly performing public schools, sparking criticism from parent advocates and others that the effort is part of a continuing campaign to privatize education. Florida’sversion of a “parent trigger” law won favorable committee votes Tuesday in the Florida House and [...]
