I will change current programs and push for the right sorts of materials that i have researched that will better develop a students abilities (i.e. analysis, critical thought, understanding of concepts)

I will push to have the right people in the right positions.  i.e. State Instructional Materials Committee.  Our state standards can be vague and unclear.  The translation of them into materials and lesson plans/teaching methods is key and we are doing a horrible job.   


We need to cut down the prevalence of multiple choice in testing and daily materials or work to change the questions and presentation of them.  The way questions are worded are very important to the learning process.  Often multiple choice questions are ineffective in measuring students understanding or helping them to understand.  Cutting back on MC and only using it appropriately as well as slight changes in MC items will have a great beneficial impact.
Our materials and standards reflect a push for knowledge, however, it is the process of how one gains knowledge that is far more important.  K-12 is supposed to develop abilities first and foremost.  Knowledge is useless without understanding what the information means.  Current teaching practices overwhelmingly reflect an exercise in memory, instead of simplistic analysis and explanation of the phenomenal world.  We need to have practices that expand memory AND critical thought.  Liberal Education is essentially intellectual empowerment.

There are changes that need to come at the state level.  The Sunshine State Standards and the benchmarks need to be rewritten.  The FCAT needs to be thrown away.  I am not against the idea of standardized tests, I'm just staunchly opposed to the one we have now.  It is not an effective measure of a student's ability.  Worst of all is all the baggage and constraints that come with the FCAT.  I will lobby the state to make drastic changes. (in standards and how they are translated, materials, FCAT test items etc.)


I will work to bridge the gap between UF and the local community.  There are invaluable resources at the university that we need to take advantage of.  We need to get more effort from the university to help with our schools.

i.e. More involvement from researchers and academics, attracting more mentors and volunteers from the 40,000+ college students we have



I will work to make sure we have the funds allocated to buy healthy foods.  I want to see a 'farm to schools' program implemented.  Also we need to make nutrition facts for school foods available online and on school grounds. 


We need an effective recycling program for all schools in the county.  Some schools such as McTavish elementary that was in recent news established a program that cut their waste by 80%.  There are many models that we can follow and strategies to implement so that our program won't cost us anything.



I will work to get great programs more prevalent in our schools i.e. Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Mentoring and great social environments have an impact in and out of the classroom.





 

The most basic rights of students are frequently trampled on, I will do my part to make sure that students receive the same rights in school as they do out of school.  Freedom of expression and speech need to be upheld. 






I can't believe that the new policy was passed or that it was even brought up when there are pressing fundamental issues with education that actually affect performance in schools.

I'm against school uniforms. There is a significant number of the population actively showing their dissent including the 7 high school principals.  See link 
 http://notopolos.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/copy-of-the-letter-sent-to-school-board-from-alachua-county-school-principals/

As a defender of rational public policy and the will of the people I will work to reverse this decision.. 

The research shows that uniforms do not lessen dress code violations, nor do they make students behave or perform better in school.
The main 'issue' as claimed by board members really comes down to enforcement of dress code standards already in place. Mandating uniforms will not solve this.
Some people say that uniforms are not that bad, but there is absolutely no reason to implement them! We cannot just accept this. Making everyone buy and wear this stuff based on false premises or because some people think it looks nice is outrageous and wrong.
It is unjust for a public institution to make people abide by this policy when there is no conclusive evidence showing that an incredible good can come from the restriction of a certain freedom. It is even more unjust because of the unnecessary cost to families.
We need to be dealing with the fundamental problems of education instead of mindlessly taking away the rights of students and parents.  Students need to be developed as thinkers and allowed to be free and creative.  Students should not be treated as workers or drones and have their right to wear what they choose taken away.






I did not support the bill that was eventually vetoed by Crist.  The plan would have only made things worse.  There are ways to fix education and i have listed some of the first necessary steps above.  This bill was political and the people backing it did not understand the educational system.  I am not closed minded nor do i serve any special interests so i would be open to any sort of plan that would actually work but i haven't seen any merit pay plans that are rational and beneficial to the system as a whole.  Also i would never support a measure of accountability that is tied to the ineffective and abhorrent FCAT test.  The accountability with teachers depends on administrators, that's who we should be looking to.