Education

Your Voices:

What changes to Florida’s public education system, pre-K through grade 12, would our campaign support if any?

Our Reply: 

Memories of proudly voting in 1986 for Florida’s government-operated lottery based on the promotion that its revenue would provide for a world-class educational system are now bitter. It was a pipe dream. Thirty-four years later, Florida ranks, among other states, as 45th in educational funding. Instead of the lottery supplementing the State funding, new procedures were implemented, reducing state funding for education. The legislators implemented their version of the people’s will. The legislative system short-changed our educational system. These procedures for the allocation of funding our campaign advocates changing to allow “Education” implemented in all zip codes of Florida to become the “Jack Pot Winners.” Then all communities throughout Florida wins; business and industry, families and neighborhoods.

Your Voices:

Are you confident the state’s public schools can re-open safety? What procedures do you favor?

Our Reply: 

 Florida’s answer was to arm teachers with guns. Our campaign’s response is to arm teachers with resources to combat the top reasons research by Alfred University shows the motivating factors of shooting, which occurs in schools. Schools are unsafe zones when students are: 

1) picked upon, made fun of and bullied

2) seeking revenge

3) victims of physical abuse at home

4) do not value life

We support adequate funding for support personnel such as a psychologist, social worker via the student ratio, according to the Florida Education Association re-opening of school recommendations.

Photography by Pablo Gomez (for educational use only)

List of Schools with Shooting Incidents

• Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

• Amish School

• Columbine High School

• Lindhurst High School

• Marysville-Pilchuck High School

• Northern Illinois University

• Oikos University

• Sandy Hook Elementary

• Santa Fe High School

• Stockton Schoolyard

• Thurston High School

• Umpqua Community College

• Virginia Tech

• Westside Middle School