Budget crisis catches up with educaiton, Herald Tribune

December 18, 2008
By Jeremy Wallace


TALLAHASSEE - State Sen. Nancy Detert, whose first elected position was to the Sarasota School Board, has made trying to improve Florida's schools -- which in some categories have long ranked among the worst in the nation -- the focus of her political career.

State Sen. Nancy Detert leads the Senate Education Committee.
Now, as Detert ascends to the head of the Senate Education Committee, she and other legislators are charged with cutting many of the programs the state has struggled to improve in recent years. The choices became painfully apparent Wednesday as Senate and House members met for talks on how to deal with Florida's historic budget shortfall.

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Budget crisis threatens health care for poor, The Ledger (Lakeland, FL)

December 16, 2008
By Lloyd Dunkelberger


TALLAHASSEE Health care spending for some of the sickest and poorest Floridians could be on the chopping block as lawmakers look to resolve the state's budget crisis.

As part of the budget debate, a state health care official Tuesday outlined $1.2 billion in potential cuts in Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor.

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Education and the Economy: Districts Making Tough Decisions, New America Foundation

December 15, 2008
By Jennifer Cohen

Last week we examined some of the strategies states are employing to pare down their education budgets in the face of the economic downturn. School districts are also affected by the simultaneous stress placed on federal, state and local education budgets. And they are considering some serious and often creative ways of rethinking their budgets for the current school year.

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School board: Each department should prepare for cuts, Gainesville Sun

December 16, 2008
By Christopher Curry


With the financial situation not looking any rosier for the foreseeable future, School Board members want all departments in the district to do some budget pruning.

During a discussion Tuesday about the coming 2009-10 school year budget — likely the first of many such meetings over the next several months — board Chairwoman Tina Pinkoson said she expected no department to be immune from cuts.

Assistant Superintendent Keith Birkett, who oversees the district budget, said the marching orders would be for all department heads to prepare cuts of between 5 percent and 7 percent.

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Budget crisis no excuse for shortchanging our children, Naples News

December 16, 2008
Lawton Chiles III

Ten years ago this month marks the anniversary of the death of former Florida governor — my father — Lawton Chiles. While he will long be remembered for many things, the issue closest to his heart was the health and well-being of Florida’s children.

When my son was born prematurely in 1981, seeing him fight for his life in the neonatal intensive care unit had a huge impact on my father, lighting a fire in him that burned bright throughout his political career. During his years as a U.S. senator, he increased funding for prenatal care and childhood immunizations and helped focus the nation’s attention on the importance of early, quality prenatal care. He also became a leader in working to reduce the country’s high infant mortality rate. When he was elected governor in 1990, he raised the standards for education and dedicated his service to building a constituency for children.

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Higher-Education Leaders Press Congress for Chunk of Stimulus Funds, Washington Post

December 16, 2008
By Valerie Strauss

More than 40 higher-education leaders from across the country asked Congress today to commit 5 percent of any economic stimulus program to the nation's colleges and universities.

The educators, including University of Virginia President John Casteen III and Chancellor William E. Kirwan of the University System of Maryland, published an open letter in newspapers warning that state budget cuts have harmed the public educational enterprise that is at the heart of the nation's long-term security.

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To help state's universities, spread the money around, Palm Beach Post

December 16, 2008


There are two ways to look at University of Florida President Bernard Machen's decision to donate his $285,000 in bonuses to a scholarship fund.

The charitable way:

Dr. Machen has set a great example and put his own money where his rhetoric is. During his nearly five years running the state's flagship university, Dr. Machen has criticized Florida for offering too little scholarship help to poor students. The $285,000 will help young men and women who are the first in their family to attend college. Unlike the ex-chairman of Merrill Lynch bleating for his $10 million bonus after he ran the company into acquisition by Bank of America, Dr. Machen has put the institution before himself.

The less-charitable way:

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