A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers:
Tampa Bay Times — Grading system: End it, don’t mend it
Florida’s school accountability system doesn’t need another bandage; it needs major surgery to regain the public’s trust. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart’s proposal to once again adjust the formula for determining school letter grades would only create more confusion and frustration about the discredited evaluation of schools, teachers and students. The Board of Education on Tuesday should reject Stewart’s plan and embrace the proposal from school superintendents to suspend school grading until the state writes and vets the new student tests that will replace the FCAT. There is no point in keeping school letter grades that would mean little and further erode public confidence.
Stewart last week said the path to restoring the public’s faith in the much-maligned Florida A+ grading system is to simplify the formula by removing some of the automatic triggers that cause a school grade to drop a letter, such as when less than 25 percent are reading at grade level. She also would retreat from controversial changes to high school evaluations adopted in 2010 that added SAT scores, Advanced Placement performance and certain graduation rates to the mix. School grades awarded for the 2013-14 school year wouldn’t be comparable to previous years, not that any of them in recent time have been meaningful.
This superficial window dressing is what happens when a governor gives lip service to education and cares more about the appearance of accountability than the practical impact on schools and families. As public disdain for school grades and concerns about the Common Core State Standards grew last year, Gov. Rick Scott called an education summit in Seminole to consider solutions but failed to show up. Earlier this month, he met with 30 school district superintendents but failed to listen to their pleas to slow the transition to the new curriculum and its still-unwritten companion assessments.
In 2014-15, the much-maligned standardized test that serves as the backbone of the entire school grading formula and the linchpin in many teacher’s evaluations — the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test — is going away. But Florida hasn’t even picked the tests that will take its place and foolishly backed out of a national consortium developing the tests in a misguided attempt to appease tea party critics. There isn’t even time to field-test the so-called end-of-subject exams once they are adopted. That’s a reckless oversight in a state that still had trouble administering the FCAT more than a decade after it began.
The Bradenton Herald — FL legislative battles on the horizon with session soon
With Florida Gov. Rick Scott boasting about his $74.2 billion state budget blueprint and the Legislature poised to open its 2014 session on March 4, political battle lines are coming into sharp focus. Some have strong roots in Manatee County, and others rank high in the community.
Here are just a few:
Tax, fee cuts
The governor proposes reducing fees and taxes some $500 million — $400 million in lower auto tag fees and $100 million from a sales tax cut on commercial leases. The tag decrease helps motorists with an average savings of $25 annually — by slashing the unfair increase imposed during the recession. The Manatee Chamber of Commerce notes that Florida is the only state that collects taxes on business rent, in direct opposition to the state’s pledge to be business friendly. This should be corrected — incrementally over several years until eliminated.
Both are welcome measures, even if politically motivated by a governor courting voters in an election year.
Red-light cameras
Once again, certain lawmakers want repeal of the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act with faulty arguments and twisted logic. They claim there are better options to boost safety at intersections and cite selected figures in a new state analysis of the cameras as further justification.
Plus, they object that local governments benefit from the fines and want to eliminate that — but the state cut appears safe at this point.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Volusia County sprucing up lodgings
It is often said that the large projects going on in Daytona Beach will help lift tourism in the future. But the reality is that smaller, less visible projects are vital, too. Collectively, small projects become not small at all.
The Hotel & Lodging Association of Volusia County says hotels and inns — not new ones, existing ones — will spend a total of $62 million in 2013 and 2014 to upgrade their facilities. That amounts to a great investment in the area’s most important industry – tourism. And it will do much to help sell the area to potential visitors.
Among the many projects is a soon-to-begin $3 million renovation of The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores. There’s a $2.5 million renovation of the Hampton Inn Daytona Speedway-Airport in Daytona Beach that is done. And there is a recently completed $1 million renovation of the Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center’s parking garage. These improvements at existing hotels will combine with larger projects, such as the Hard Rock Hotel and the Daytona International Speedway’s renovations, to better the tourism environment of Volusia County.
Hopefully, this is the start of a time when the county finally scuttles a reputation of the recent past when not all lodgings lived up to visitors’ expectations. They hurt Daytona Beach’s reputation, leading visitors to head to other destinations such as Cocoa Beach, Miami and Tampa.
The Florida Times-Union — Good work by public safety workers on train derailment
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department deserve big cheers for their fantastic work handling last Tuesday’s train derailment under the Acosta Bridge next to the Times-Union.
Make no mistake: The train accident was potentially serious. Gallons of ethanol, which is highly flammable, spilled from a tanker during the derailment, forcing the Times-Union’s production building to be evacuated on two occasions and parts of the Acosta Bridge walkway and Northbank Riverwalk to be closed temporarily.
Thankfully, there were no injuries or damage to the nearby St. Johns River thanks to the quick work and professionalism shown by JSO and Fire and Rescue. Within a mere 12 hours of the accident, things were pretty much back to normal.
Cheers to the JSO and JFRD for their fine work!
MASTERING BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Jacksonville University is making the grade when it comes to providing business students with a solid MBA program.
The university’s Master of Business Administration program ranks No. 14 on the International Graduate Forum’s list of top MBA programs across the world.
JU’s MBA program is considered “Tier One” level by the international group, which weighed factors like the quality of faculty, student diversity, cost and teacher-student ratio.
Cheers to Jacksonville University for winning international acclaim for its MBA program.
The Gainesville Sun – Express service
A new study throws cold water on Gainesville’s most grandiose plans for a bus rapid transit system.
But it doesn’t say our community should stand pat and do nothing to improve the Regional Transit System.
Instead, it offers an alternative that should generate broad agreement as Alachua County likely considers a 1-cent sales tax increase to fund transportation projects.
The study recommends an express bus service that “offers street network modifications that benefit both automobile and transit traffic at minimal costs, achieves higher system-wide ridership increases (even if minimal), establishes the area’s first continuous, high frequency transit corridor that links key community focal points like East Gainesville, UF/Shands/VA, and Oaks Mall/North Florida Regional Medical Center, and reflects the community’s clearly articulated desire to improve transit while still devoting adequate financial resources for basic roadway maintenance improvements.”
Even better, “the operating costs for the new limited stop service could be partially offset by reductions in existing, overlapping local RTS service,” according to the report by consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff.
The Lakeland Ledger — Lakeland Police Scandals: Fire Doug Thomas
The need for the Lakeland City Commission to fire City Manager Doug Thomas has been clear since Sept. 26 when Police Officer Julio L. Pagan was arrested. He was charged with raping a woman during a call to her home and stalking her afterward.
Part 1 of 2
Now, a report from the State Attorney’s Office and a written reply by Thomas make clear that no action other than firing would be appropriate.
Despite the ongoing damage to the city by Thomas through more than a year of harmful decisions and lax oversight, the City Commission has had a spine of oatmeal in dealing with the city manager.
The commission must find the fortitude to fire Thomas in its meeting Monday.
The Miami Herald — Havana’s unchanging hardline
Suddenly, there appears to be movement, or at least the start of a conversation, regarding policy toward Cuba on the part of the European Union and Americans interested in the welfare of the Cuban people.
This is a healthy development. No policy should be declared sacrosanct and off-limits for periodic review, particularly those framed during the height of the Cold War.
There’s just one thing missing in this picture: The Cuban government.
The government’s hard-line stance on human-rights issues represents an obstacle in the thawing of relations that cannot be ignored. Moreoever, not only is there no sign that the Castro regime is interested in any sort of dialogue or negotiation over its despotic policies, but rather the opposite.
The latest evidence of the regime’s perfidy puts the Castro government squarely in the middle of a global weapons-supply chain to North Korea, in violation of explicit U.N. sanctions.
The Orlando Sentinel — Justin Wadsworth and Vandals: Champ & Chump
Champ
Justin Wadsworth: As a former U.S. Olympian who is now Canada’s head cross-country ski coach, he won’t get any more chances to win medals. But maybe he deserves one for an inspiring display of sportsmanship during this year’s games in Sochi. When a Russian cross-country skier, Anton Garafov, broke a ski during a race, Wadsworth rushed on to the course to give him a new one. The coach said he wanted Garafov to be able to finish the race in his home country with dignity. It’s good to know there’s still room for compassion, even in the high-stakes competition of the Olympics.
Chump
Vandals: Whoever rolled black paint over a mural honoring baseball great and humanitarian Roberto Clemente at Azalea Park Elementary School’s ball field did a malicious and cowardly thing. Fortunately, it backfired. Concerned citizens from the surrounding Hispanic community and as far away as Kentucky have arranged for the artist behind the mural to return, so he can paint a bigger, better version at the field. Clemente, who died delivering earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua, remains a hero and role model, especially to Hispanics. Black paint won’t obscure his legacy.
The Ocala StarBanner —Most Floridians have made up their mind
A respected poll shows a majority of Floridians have made up their mind about the medical marijuana proposal on the November ballot.
A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in November showed 82 percent of Floridians back allowing adults to use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes the drug. Just 16 percent of voters opposed marijuana for medical use.
Yet there is still time — and a need — for Floridians to consider the implications of the proposed constitutional amendment. Furthermore, it will be important for the Legislature to assess — during the annual session starting March 4 — its potential role in the regulation of medical pot.
The proposed amendment to the state constitution would — if approved — allow Floridians to use marijuana to combat a “debilitating medical condition” or “other conditions for which a physician” believes the drug would provide benefits.
The Pensacola News-Journal — Hatchery wrong for Bruce Beach
Back in 2011, we were excited when we first learned about the possibility of a fish hatchery funded by BP money and potentially sited in an existing structure at the Port of Pensacola. The proposal sounded compelling and creative – an idea loaded with vitality and rebirth that seemed like a natural antithesis to the deadly and poisonous Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Today, we wish the proposed hatchery was a proven and potent way to turn $18.8 million of BP’s punishment into meaningful progress for our city and our environment. But as you’ll see in today’s watchdog reporting by T.S. Strickland and Rob Johnson, the hatchery’s value does not seem tangible enough to earn its place on prime waterfront real estate.
The Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Enhancement Center, as the project has been labeled, is wrong for Bruce Beach, a rare 10 acres of publicly owned bayfront property. This project goes against the recommendations of the city’s own land-use studies.
The Palm Beach Post —If goal is to disable threat, why shoot to kill?
Did Anesson Joseph have to die? That is the question Joseph’s family is asking after a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy shot him in suburban Delray Beach Feb. 4 after he attacked two people and sent them to the hospital.
Unfortunately, it’s a question too many families of mentally ill individuals and substance abusers killed by law enforcement are left asking. And too often law enforcement responds that officers had no choice. They were forced to make split-second decisions.
The Panama City News-Herald — Air Force and answers
Officials at Tyndall Air Force Base should be commended for engaging the public in discussion and debate about proposed security measures for the surrounding waterways. Holding town hall meetings to inform stakeholders, listen to their concerns and seek their input is not just appropriate, but necessary, and a vast improvement from when news of the proposal first broke last year, when many residents felt blindsided.
Transparency and talking are vital. But so is action. And it’s becoming clearer that the Air Force is not satisfying many of the public’s worries that the security plan remains too vague and could be subject to abuse — and that ultimately the federal government, like it so often does, is going to do what it wants to do.
Last year, Tyndall, citing security issues, initially proposed prohibiting public access to four bayous within the base, including Fred Bayou, Little Cedar Bayou, Military Point and Baker Bayou, as well as Shell and Crooked Islands — areas that are extremely popular with recreational boaters and fishermen, and which several small businesses depend on.
The plan was published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the vast Federal Register on May 9 and included a 30-day window for public comments. No one became aware of that needle in a haystack until a week before that window closed. Thankfully, many residents and local officials created such an uproar in protest that the Air Force backed down, withdrew the proposal and promised more openness.
The Tallahassee Democrat – Trustees finally get the job done
In the end, Florida A&M University’s trustees decided to present a show of unity after approving a contract for Elmira Mangum, the person they chose as FAMU’s new president on Jan. 9.
That’s probably the best move they could have made to go into damage control and deflect a growing perception that their actions during public negotiations were anything but unified. First the trustees expressed concerns about Mangum’s salary request, then her tenure, then her car allowance. Do trustees want to solidify their top choice for the president of Florida A&M University or not?
From the outset, trustees agreed that they wouldn’t settle for less than the best-qualified person they could find to be FAMU’s next president. So, why so much dissension over the contract for such a highly qualified choice?
Within hours of Thursday’s meeting, trustee chairman Solomon Badger issued a statement saying that Mangum was in accordance with the changes. It looks as if she’ll be on board by April 1, pending her approval by the Board of Governors this week.
The Tampa Tribune —The unmentioned fiscal storm to come
What a difference a strengthening economy makes. To casual observers, the future seems rosy and old financial worries seem silly and irrelevant.
In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama kept the forecast tight and bright as he promised “a breakthrough year for America.” The budget deficit, he said with pride, has been cut by more than half.
He made no mention of the growing federal debt. The omission seemed to say debt should cease to be a concern.
But what he said in last year’s speech remains true: Unless changes are made, “our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations.”
That reality has been interpreted so many different ways by various economists and politicians that most of us citizens dismiss it as theoretical trouble, safely distant from our lives. Congress reinforces this attitude by continuing to borrow from the future to subsidize the present, long after the recession has ended.
It is easier to understand our household budgets. Everyone knows personal debts are not theoretical. They are real and have weight.
