Dive Summary:
- The Florida education summit organized by Gov. Rick Scott attempted to change the tone of the state's education debate after a summer marred by school grading flaws, Education Commissioner Tony Bennett's resignation, Common Core backlash and a pay raise plan that raised property taxes in 17 school districts.
- While the three-day event in Clearwater did little to settle those issues, it did help parent groups, teachers, administrators and legislators find common ground on things like teacher evaluations.
- Despite organizing the summit, as well as his attempts to re-brand himself as a voice for education, Scott wasn't in attendance—but he is expected to discuss education during a Thursday dinner with former Gov. Jeb Bush, state Sen. John Thrasher and Board of Education chairman Gary Chartrand.
From the article:
... Scott has seized on education as a key topic as he prepares for his re-election campaign next year. His poll numbers have been stubbornly low since he slashed $1 billion from the education budget in 2011 and backed a plan to tie teacher evaluations more to standardized test scores.
Since then he has pushed for more school funding and advocated for teacher raises. Rarely does he give a speech without touting his focus on education and jobs. ...
