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| | | Floridians tell stories of Governor Bush’s personal impact in their lives.
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A+ Plan for Education
As a result of the A+ Plan, Florida's children are learning more, our schools are safer, education funding has increased by $3 billion, and our teachers have been empowered to use their innovative talents to teach every student a year's worth of knowledge in a year's worth of time - especially those who need extra help.
As a cornerstone of their 1998 campaign, Governor Bush and Lieutenant Governor Brogan presented Florida voters with a comprehensive plan to transform our state’s public schools into centers of excellence - the A+ Plan for Education. Once elected, they went to work with the Florida Legislature to make this plan a reality. Today, Florida’s public schools have increased accountability, incentives to succeed, and help to correct chronic failure.
Elements of the A+ Plan include:
Increase Accountability and Improve Student Learning - Florida’s goals for school readiness, teacher quality, high school graduation, and family literacy have a renewed focus on the overall goal to improve student learning from readiness to adult education. To measure our school’s success at teaching the Sunshine State Standards, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test has been expanded to grades three through ten. As of the 2000-2001 school year, all of Florida's students in grades 3-10 take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT, implemented in 1998 under the Chiles administration, with the input of teachers and other education professionals) in the spring of each year so parents and teachers know how much their children and students are learning from year to year.
As part of the A+ Plan, Florida now grades all schools on an A to F scale. The percentage of A and B schools has doubled since 1998.
Helping Low-Performing Schools - Funding has been targeted to help low-performing schools improve, and they are. We have raised standards so that Florida’s students are truly gaining the knowledge they need to succeed in life. Through the Assistance Plus program, F schools are receiving extra training and teaching resources for students and schools in greatest need of help. We have given districts spending flexibility to improve student learning in low-performing schools by extending the school year, reducing class size, providing summer school, special tutoring, and/or mentoring.
Reward Success - Since 1999, the School Recognition Program has rewarded $304 million to improving and high-achieving schools. For the 2001-2002 school year, 1,304 schools received an A grade or improved their letter grade, qualifying for a school recognition award ($100 per student). In 1999, only 324 schools received an A grade or improved their grade from the year before.
Correct Failure - If a school receives a failing grade for two consecutive years, parents may receive Opportunity Scholarships to send their child to another public school or a participating private school.
Eliminate Social Promotion - Social promotion is no longer an option. Students who struggle in reading in first and second grades will be given intensive instruction and will not be promoted until their reading skills have improved so they can succeed at the next level.
Increase Standards and Improve Training for Educators - The A+ Plan increases standards for education professionals for entry to colleges of education and teaching certification. The plan also encourages teachers to participate in the Excellent Teaching Program, which provides incentives for teachers to attain National Board Certification through annual bonuses of up to 5 percent. Colleges of education are now rated on their performance by surveying the employers of their graduates and published in the institution's catalog. The A+ Plan refocuses the use of teacher training funds, so that they are now first used to improve teacher performance in the classroom through highly focused teacher training institutes and expanded technology-based training such as distance learning and Internet-based assistance.
Improve School Safety and Reduce Truancy - The comprehensive School Safety and Security bill signed into law by Governor Bush in 1999 creates a Partnership for School Safety and Security and requires a one year expulsion for students who make bomb threats or possess a weapon or firearm. The 2001-2002 budget includes $75.4 million for school safety initiatives. The A+ Plan frees up funds for school districts to direct a greater portion of dropout prevention funds to support second chance schools and other alternatives for disruptive students. Teacher training funds and school safety funds may be used to support efforts to provide effective teacher training in managing student discipline. The A+ Plan also reduces bureaucratic requirements for enforcing school attendance laws to aid schools in their renewed efforts to rigorously enforce school attendance.
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 | | | | From Teachers to Veterans, a diverse group of Floridians have endorsed Jeb Bush for Governor, and for good reason.
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