Influence

Background

Education is big business. These are stories about the politicians, businesses, lobbyists and other leaders seeking to impact education decisions.

Latest Posts

Follow this topic

April 3, 2014

Despite Common Core, Columnist Says GOP Should Still Consider Jeb Bush

Republicans should give former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush a chance if he decides to run for president in 2016 — despite his support of Common Core education standards — George Will writes in The Washington Post: He will not, however, have the nomination handed to him on a silver salver. And the nomination fight would […]

April 2, 2014

Uh, Senators? You Know We Already Get In-State Tuition At Miami’s FIU, Right?

The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee got a big surprise this week. Turns out, in-state university tuition rates are already available for some undocumented immigrants. That’s the case at Florida International University. It may have strengthened the hands of opponents of an in-state tuition bill, but not enough to defeat it. Rick Stone from member station […]

March 26, 2014

Foundation Says Florida Schools On The Rise

Foundation for Excellence in Education blogger Mike Thomas has responded to a post we wrote last week looking at the claims in a television ad running in Tampa. The ad references the state’s top 10 ranking in an Education Week survey, rising graduation rates and more students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams. Our post […]

March 21, 2014

Checking The Claims In The New Ad About Florida Schools

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to clarify claims about Advanced Placement tests. This week, the Foundation for Excellence in Education began running a television ad in the Tampa Bay market touting Florida school progress. The ad serves two purposes: it argues Florida schools are improving, and that improvement is due to annual statewide […]

March 20, 2014

Miami Schools Chief: Selection Of New Test Is ‘Insufficient’

Miami-Dade schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the process by which Florida chose a new statewide exam was ‘insufficient’ and he questioned whether the test from the American Institutes for Research will be right for Florida. StateImpact Florida’s Sammy Mack caught up with Carvalho today. In particular, Carvalho was concerned the exam would be field-tested in […]

March 19, 2014

Bush Foundation Promoting Common Education Standards Online, On Air

The education foundation founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has launched a new web site and advertising campaign to support the Common Core math and language arts standards facing criticism in many states. The campaign by the Foundation For Excellence in Education is called “Learn More. Go Further.” The web site features videos of […]

March 13, 2014

Gov. Scott Supports In-State Tuition For Undocumented Immigrants

Gov. Rick Scott said he will support a Senate bill granting in-state tuition to some undocumented immigrants because the bill also would prevent universities from raising tuition above what lawmakers approve, according to the Associated Press. Lawmakers have considered in-state tuition the past several years, but the bill has never made it through both the […]

March 7, 2014

Zero Tolerance May Not Extend To Pop-Tarts Under Gun Bill

Pop-Tarts chewed into the shape of a gun would not be grounds for suspension under a bill passed Thursday by the House Education Committee. The bill is supposed to cut down on the number of students arrested because of zero tolerance policies. The ‘Toaster Pastry Gun Freedom Act’ is known as the Pop-Tart bill after […]

March 5, 2014

Three Questions: Andy Ford On Policy Priorities For Florida Teachers’ Unions

In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott promoted his $18.8 billion budget for education. But if it were up to Florida Education Association president Andy Ford, there would be even more money going to Florida’s public schools. The Florida Education Association is the state umbrella group for Florida teachers’ unions. […]

March 4, 2014

Explaining The Florida Tuition Law Gov. Rick Scott Wants To Repeal

Gov. Rick Scott is asking lawmakers to eliminate the state’s tuition differential law, which allows universities to request as much as a 15 percent tuition increase each year. Scott has fought higher education tuition hikes since he took office in 2011. “We are changing how we fund higher education,” Scott said, according to the prepared […]

About StateImpact

StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »

Economy

Oklahoma