Issue Position: Education & Workforce Development

Issue Position

On behalf of our kids, we need to insist on measurable progress and excellence from our schools. That means treating teachers like the professionals they are and rewarding them financially for progress, making sure we have accurate and useful feedback on student and school performance, focusing on excellence in math and science, and giving parents choices about their kids' education. Our middle schools in particular need to do more to prepare kids for global competitiveness by laying the foundations of solid career skills. Our early childhood education options must be commensurate with the demonstrated importance of such programs to long-term growth. We need to take every appropriate measure to develop the massive human capital possessed by our disabled and disadvantaged neighbors, who want nothing more than to contribute to our economy and have the affirmation that only a career can bring. And our universities and trade schools need to do a better job of recruiting talent into science, technology, engineering, and math programs.
To address the huge loss of talent that Florida suffers each year when its science graduates leave the state for opportunities elsewhere, I favor creative measures like tuition assistance and loan incentives for students who maintain solid GPAs in the sciences and commit to staying in Florida. Florida can't compete for world-class employers unless it retains world-class talent. Finally, as long as Florida remains the world's best place to retire, it must offer the world's best opportunities for second-career workers and seniors who, with the right resources, can remain one of our economy's unique sources of strength.

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