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Rooney Backs Albritton for Florida Senate

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Congressman Tom Rooney says Ben Albritton is a dedicated leader who will
provide excellent representation for District 26 in the Florida Senate.

The Ben Albritton Campaign today announced the endorsement of Congressman Tom Rooney, who represents Florida’s 17th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Albritton is seeking the District 26 seat in the Florida Senate, currently held by Denise Grimsley, who is running for Commissioner of Agriculture.
“Ben Albritton is a tireless and dedicated servant leader committed to strengthening our communities,” said Rooney. “I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Ben on issues important to our region, and I am confident he will continue the tradition of excellent representation Denise Grimsley has provided.”
Rooney was elected to Congress in 2008, and he sits on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He chairs the Subcommittee on the National Security Agency. His district includes nine counties, spanning from Florida’s Heartland to the Gulf Coast.
“I am honored to have the support of Congressman Rooney,” said Albritton. “When it comes to defending agriculture, reining in big government, and supporting small businesses, there is no question we have a champion in him. I plan to fight for those same issues in the Florida Senate.”
In 2010, Albritton was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he has been a staunch advocate for entrepreneurs and children in Florida’s foster care system. He is also known for his strong conservative record on Second Amendment rights and protection for the unborn. He is the Chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee. He also sits on the Appropriations Committee, the Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee, and the Government Accountability Committee, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Polk County Legislative Delegation.
With Grimsley’s decision to not seek re-election, District 26, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 43 to 34 percent, is an open seat. Centered in Florida’s Heartland, the district covers parts of Charlotte, Lee, and Polk Counties, as well as all of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties.

Paid by Ben Albritton, Republican, for State Senator

Florida Poly Granted Initial Accreditation

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Florida Polytechnic University was granted initial regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a significant milestone the University has diligently worked toward since its founding.
This decision means future Florida Poly graduates, and those who graduated earlier this year, will have a degree from a regionally accredited university.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I was proud in 2012 to sign the bill creating Florida Polytechnic University and today’s announcement furthers the university’s goal of providing students with a world-class education. Florida Polytechnic’s focus on STEM is helping create a new generation of innovative leaders in Florida and I applaud its achievement of initial regional accreditation by the SACSCOC.”
“Our University has achieved a number of significant milestones in our short history, but this is the biggest yet,” said Florida Poly President Dr. Randy K. Avent. “Accreditation signals to prospective students and faculty that we are serious and legitimate contenders in the world of higher education.”
“Achieving accreditation was our last Legislative mandate,” said President Avent. “Today’s announcement allows us to move forward from the start-up phase and into new territory as we work to build a stronger Florida and lead the charge to develop future high-tech business leaders, create jobs and grow Florida’s economy. Adding accreditation to our credentials greatly enhances our ability to advance our STEM-focused mission,” said President Avent.
Regional accreditation brings many benefits to the University, including fulfilling our commitment to the State of Florida that they would have an accredited university focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Regional accreditation is necessary for our students, on an ongoing basis, to receive federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and federally guaranteed student loans; accreditation is also required for universities to receive federal research funding that supports students as a part of university research programs.
“It is my pleasure to advise that the SACSCOC Board of Trustees approved the initial accreditation of Florida Polytechnic University at its June meeting,” said SACSCOC Vice President Dr. Mary Kirk. “Becoming an accredited university is not easy, but Florida Poly has met the high standards we require for educational quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.”
The University was named a candidate for accreditation a year ago by SACSCOC after meeting the initial set of standards. During this past year, Florida Poly worked to complete the final step for accreditation by submitting detailed documentation demonstrating the school’s compliance with all principles of accreditation. Representatives of SACSCOC also visited campus in February for three days of reviewing facilities and meeting with faculty and staff.
“Today’s announcement validates years of hard work,” said Frank T. Martin, chairman of the Florida Poly Board of Trustees. “As an original board member, I’ve been involved in every stage of this university’s growth. We have achieved tremendous accomplishments and certainly faced our challenges, but today is truly a landmark day for Florida’s 12th State University and I’m proud of this achievement as we prepare our students to become the next generation of STEM leaders.”
SACSCOC is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges’ Board of Trustees is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process. For information contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4558.
About Florida Polytechnic University
Florida Polytechnic University is the newest member of the State University System of Florida. Dedicated exclusively to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the University blends applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Faculty experts at Florida Polytechnic University provide insightful analysis, opinions and comments about a broad range of STEM and higher education subjects. To connect with Florida Poly faculty, click here. The campus, located in Lakeland, Fla. along the I-4 High Tech Corridor, opened for classes in the fall of 2014.

Gov. Scott: Florida Unemployment Rate drops to 4.3 percent in May

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Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent in May, the lowest rate since August 2007. Florida businesses created nearly 22,000 private-sector jobs in May, bringing the total number of new jobs added since December 2010 to 1,377,100. Florida’s annual private-sector job growth rate, which is 3 percent, has exceeded the nation’s rate, which is 1.8 percent, for 62 consecutive months. Governor Scott made the announcement at Dusobox, an Orlando manufacturer that currently employs 78 Floridians and has created nearly 20 new jobs over the past year.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped to a nearly 10-year low and that nearly 22,000 jobs were created across our state last month. We are competing against other states and nations for new jobs, and I am proud that we were able to establish the $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund during the recent special session. This flexible, transparent economic development program will promote public infrastructure and individual job training in order to encourage more businesses to grow and invest in our state. Florida has had a lot of success, and I appreciate the Florida Legislature for supporting important investments like the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund so we can make Florida the best place for families and job creators to succeed for future generations.”
As of May, Florida’s unemployment rate dropped 6.4 percentage points since December 2010, while the national rate declined by only 5 percentage points in the same time period. In the last year, 367,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 3.8 percent, while the national labor force growth is only 0.8 percent.
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Since December 2010, more than 1.37 million Floridians have found private-sector employment, meaning job seekers are finding good jobs that provide for their families. Our impressive job growth and business-friendly climate has helped Florida establish itself as a national leader in job creation.”
Other positive economic indicators include:

  • Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over-the-year were:
    • Professional and business services with 52,900 new jobs;
    • Leisure and hospitality with 34,900 new jobs;
    • Education and health services with  34,400 new jobs;
    • Construction with 31,000 new jobs; and
    • Trade, transportation and utilities with 30,900 new jobs.
  • Florida job postings showed 255,858 openings in May 2017.
  • In May, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported 28,671 Floridians, including 1,551 veterans, were placed in jobs.

To view the May 2017 employment data, click here.

JMI Applauds Governor Scott and the Legislature for Championing School Choice

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 Statement from The James Madison Institute

Florida Governor Rick Scott’s signing of the omnibus education bill is a win for Florida students, parents, and teachers. Florida continues to lead the nation in school choice efforts and to serve as a model for other states that strive to give parents and students the choice of different educational styles and curricula that meet each child’s unique needs.
“For 30 years, The James Madison Institute has been on the front lines of the battle of ideas and principles in Florida. We thank Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Joe Negron, and House Speaker Richard Corcoran for their support of this legislation. They have been steadfast in their efforts to match students with educational opportunities that provide the greatest chance for success in life, and this commitment is reflected in legislation that expands school choice for economically-disadvantaged students and those with unique abilities, while providing more digital education access and allowing successful charter schools to open new schools in areas with chronically failing public schools.”

– Dr. J. Robert McClure, President and CEO, The James Madison Institute

“Education choice is an idea that ought to unite liberals and conservatives because it acknowledges that students are diverse and that they are often ill-served by one-size-fits-all schooling policies that fail to account for each child’s unique learning needs.  We commend the legislators in both parties who voted to expand student options in 2017, and we hope legislators will work together in 2018 to move us even closer to the goal of universal education choice for all Florida students.”

– William Mattox, Director of JMI’s Marshall Center for Educational Options

National Science Foundation Awards FAMU $2M Grant to Enhance Student Success in STEM

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Florida A&M University (FAMU) has been awarded a four-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) to help broaden the participation of minority graduates in the nation’s science and technology workforce.
The grant, which was effective June 1, supports FAMU’s HBCU-UP project titled “Science Community of Active Learners to Enhance Achievement and Retention.” The program is designed to significantly increase student success rates in FAMU’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree programs.
Key areas of focus include:

  • Improving the academic preparedness of freshman STEM students, so they are better equipped for the rigor of upper-division STEM major courses, graduate school and the global marketplace
  • Increasing the retention, persistence and graduation rates of STEM students
  • Increasing the number of students at the University pursuing STEM degrees
  • Providing professional development opportunities for STEM faculty to study best teaching practices

Maurice Edington, Ph.D., vice president for Strategic Planning, Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness, serves as the principal investigator for the project. FAMU professors Lewis Johnson, Ph.D., Desmond Stephens, Ph.D., and Paulette Reneau, Ph.D., join him as co-investigators.
“I am tremendously excited about this program, which will support FAMU’s ongoing efforts to increase retention and graduation rates and enhance degree production in high-demand areas,” Edington said. “The grant also aligns with several of the priorities outlined in the new University strategic plan, which focuses heavily on providing exceptional student experiences and supporting faculty excellence.”
The grant marks the second NSF HBCU-UP award for Edington and his team. They are completing a four-year, $1.6 million award that was received in 2013 for a project entitled “Student Centered Active-Learning and Assessment Reform.”

Senator Farmer Statement on the Signing of HB 7069

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“Today I am saddened by the Governor’s action in signing HB 7069. This devious bill, hatched in secret, and strong-armed through the Legislature will deal a significant blow to our State’s public education system. For the first time, private-charter school operators will now have access to local school district tax-revenue. This will undoubtedly lead to less money for our already starved-traditional public schools. I fear that a lack of accountability in these charters will result in wasted dollars for untested and redundant facilities, all to prop up private entities that are closing down nearly as fast as they are opening up. I join the thousands of parents, schoolteachers, and education advocates around Florida in bowing my head in shame. Our government can do better.”

Gov. Scott: Connecticut Leaders Out of Touch with Business

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Governor Rick Scott today announced he will be leading an economic development mission to Connecticut next week to share why businesses in Connecticut should consider moving their operations to Florida. This follows the recent establishment of the $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, which will help provide even more reasons for businesses to invest in Florida.
Governor Scott said, “By working with the Florida Legislature, over the past six and a half years we have cut more than $6.7 billion in taxes, reduced 4,800 burdensome regulations and made important investments to help create opportunities across Florida for future generations. With more than 1.35 million new jobs, an unemployment rate at a nearly 10-year low and a job growth rate that has exceeded the nation’s for more than five consecutive years, there is no better place to grow a business than Florida. Meanwhile, Connecticut leaders are out of touch with business. Governor Malloy’s administration has been trying, and failing, to tackle a budget deficit with an overwhelming collection of increased taxes and fees. Their job growth rate continues to lag far behind Florida and the nation, and Connecticut has lost more adjusted gross income and people to Florida than any other state in the nation.
“The business environment in Connecticut simply cannot compete with everything Florida has to offer. That is why I am leading an economic development mission to Connecticut to share this message firsthand with job creators and site selectors next week. With the recent establishment of the $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund that the Legislature overwhelmingly passed last week, we have the important resources our state needs to encourage more businesses to choose Florida as the best destination to grow and create jobs. I look forward to meeting with Connecticut business leaders to explain how additional public infrastructure and individual job training through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund will help create new opportunities for them to grow in the Sunshine State.”

Statement from Sen. Linda Stewart on signing of HB 7069

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“I would like to thank the Governor for visiting Senate District 13, but I’m very disappointed that he used the signing of HB 7069 as the reason to stop by.
“This bill is an unwise experiment in education policy opposed by our state’s teachers, parents, professional administrators and superintendents. That’s why I urged him to veto it. Many of those that have opposed HB7069 have dedicated their lives to educating the students in Florida’s schools. HB7069 was secretly produced, and passed as a 278-page bitter pill that flew in the face of every tradition of transparency and openness required by our state’s laws and constitution.
“Let’s be clear about what HB7069 actually does: it enriches the for-profit education industry at the expense of Florida’s traditional public schools. The same schools that educated the vast majority of Floridians for generations despite daunting odds and an indifferent legislature for the past two decades.
“The legislation you signed today gives to the charter school industry a free hand, and promises them a bountiful reward. It allows corporations with no track record of success, no obligation to struggling students, and no mandated standards of accountability to flourish, with the sole obligation to their shareholders. Not the public. Not to well-intentioned parents desperate to see their children succeed – but to a group of investors who have made a business decision to add these companies to their portfolios because they are interested in making money.
“I would remind those who stand to profit personally from this legislation, some of whom hold high office, that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Statement from Progress Florida Regarding Signing of HB 7069

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Statement from Progress Florida Executive Director, Mark Ferrulo, on Gov. Scott’s signing into law HB 7069:
“Today, Gov. Rick Scott ignored thousands of parents, teachers and community leaders who have spoken out against this travesty of a bill and embraced a secret and unaccountable process to deal an underhanded sucker punch to public education in our state. Our students — the next generation of Floridians — are the ones who will pay the price.

“Floridians deserve a strong and well-funded public school system so that a child’s opportunity to learn isn’t dependent on where they live or whether they win a school lottery. We shouldn’t waste precious resources on a parallel system of for profit private voucher and charter schools that is less accountable to citizens and has produced mixed results at best.”