State Rep. Says Governor is Posing as an Education Advocate

Florida House of Representatives

State Rep. Dwight Bullard (D-Miami).

A Florida congressman says Governor Rick Scott is starting to sound more like an education advocate — but he doesn’t buy it.

State Representative Dwight Bullard (D-Miami) issued the following statement after Scott’s announcement this morning that he wants to reduce teacher paperwork and cut unnecessary regulations in education.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to know where Rick Scott stands on public education and teaching. Today, he says he would like to reduce paperwork requirements of educators. That’s nice, but if Rick Scott is truly listening to teachers, he would know that Florida’s education professionals deserve better pay and benefits and wholehearted support from state officials.

What public school educators don’t need is a governor who masquerades as an education advocate but proposes and signs state budgets that drastically shortchanges education like Rick Scott did last year. Florida needs an education governor, not a politician who poses as an advocate for teachers when it’s politically convenient.

Last week, the governor promised not to cut education funding next year. He cut $1.3 billion the year before, but then put  $1 billion back in this year. 

Lately he’s also been speaking out against the FCAT, admitting the state may be placing too much emphasis on the state’s standardized test.

What do you think about the governor’s recent remarks on education?