Advocacy Committee Makes Election Recommendations

Each election year, a group of FEA members and leaders gathers to interview candidates and make recommendations for key positions in government.

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Members of the committee also study  the positions that candidates have taken, talk with most of the candidates for statewide office, and asked the election hopefuls questions about public education, the teaching profession, the concerns of ESPs and the state’s retirement system.

Below you’ll find FEA’s recommendations on a few of the key races voters will decide in the November 2 general election.

Governor

FEA recommends Florida CFO Alex Sink in her race to become governor.

“Alex has the proven leadership, experience and vision to lead Florida as we rebuild our economy and bolster public education,” said FEA President Andy Ford. “It’s clear to us that she’s the leading choice to guide our state. She has the heart and the courage to challenge the entrenched political structure at the top of our state government.”

“Too few Floridians have a voice in our government and I want that to change,” Sink said. “I will listen to a broader range of voices and act to represent all Floridians as governor.”

Sink, who has been a math teacher as well as a leader in the business community, said she supports the state’s public schools and her two children have been well educated in our public schools.

“Without a strong education system, Florida cannot build a more prosperous economy because the quality of our workforce depends directly on the quality of our schools,” Sink said. “We must invest in Florida’s future by fully investing in our schools from pre-K to the university level and funding workforce training and development programs.”

U.S. Senate

The FEA Advocacy Committee decided to recommend both U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and Gov. Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race, saying both candidates would be an asset in Washington.

Meek has a solid record of voting for public education both when he was in the Florida Legislature and since he’s been in the U.S. House. Meek has consistently supported more funding for public education. As soon as Senate Bill 6 was approved by the Legislature, Meek strongly urged Crist to veto the measure. He supports vouchers only under extreme circumstances, such as our found with the McKay scholarships for children with severe learning disabilities. And he’s a strong backer of unions, including his strong support for the Employee Free Choice Act. In addition to that, we would have never had the class size provisions voters placed in the Florida Constitution if not for the efforts of Kendrick Meek. Our national affiliates have given him excellent ratings throughout his congressional career. He’s a solid advocate for public education and it’s clear he would make an outstanding U.S. senator.

“Kendrick Meek has always been a strong backer of public education and our positions for as long as he’s been in public service. He has always supported our schools and its employees,” Ford said. “We wouldn’t have the class size provisions in the Florida Constitution without Kendrick’s tireless work to get that on the ballot and to win its approval. We know Kendrick would be welcome addition to the U.S. Senate.

Crist has taken some courageous actions that have been positive to public education. Each year he has been governor, he has proposed increases for public education in his budget. The Legislature ended up cutting those requests, but Crist has always proposed increases for education. Last year, he vetoed a 3 percent salary cut for many state workers that would have been felt by our higher education members. He has pushed to increase funding for schools through the agreements with the Seminole tribe on gaming. He accepted stimulus money from the federal government, when most in his party opposed taking it. This action prevented massive layoffs of public school employees. He has made key appointments, including to the Florida Supreme Court, that were opposed by the Republican Party.

And, of course, he listened to our members and to other public school supporters in vetoing S.B. 6 this year. The governor was originally in favor of the bill, but when our members began to write and call and talk to him in person, he heard us. The vast majority of Republicans in the Florida House and Senate were in favor of this assault on the teaching profession and it would have been very easy for Crist to sign that bill. But he didn’t and by issuing his veto, he sent a message to those of us who vocally opposed the bill that we do make a difference in the political process. And, in vetoing the bill, he set up the working group that allowed us to design a better, more focused application for Florida’s attempt to get funding for public education through the federal Race to the Top grant.

Since he has left the Republican Party and gone independent, Crist seems to be liberated and focused on the needs of the people of our state. For these reasons, we believe he would also be a solid addition to the U.S. Senate.

“Gov. Charlie Crist took bold action this year in bucking the leaders of his former political party and listening to the teachers and parents of Florida when he vetoed Senate Bill 6 and set the stage for a better Florida application in the federal Race to the Top grant,” Ford said. “S.B. 6 energized teachers and parents throughout the state and Crist’s actions showed so many Floridians that their voices count. We think an independent Charlie Crist working for Floridians would also be a great asset in the Senate.”

Chief Financial Officer

FEA recommends Loranne Ausley for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the state in the November elections.

“Loranne Ausley is a longtime friend and ally of the Florida Education Association during her years in the Florida House,” Ford said. “She has always passionately backed children’s issues and has always made them a priority. We believe she’ll be a great asset to our state as CFO.”

Ausley served eight years in the Florida House, representing Tallahassee and the Big Bend. Last year, she was selected by Sink to serve as chair of the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, a public-private institution that provides health insurance for children in Florida. She also serves as a senior advisor to the Lawton Chiles Foundation, a statewide organization that works to help families and improve the lives of Florida’s children.

“Our state is in dire need of leaders who understand children’s issues,” said Ausley. “The position of CFO is one that intersects with the lives of Floridians in a real way. As a member of the Cabinet, I will work to improve their lives and work to make a greater investment in our children and in working people. We need people who work to invest in the next generation, instead of worrying about the next election.”

Attorney General

FEA recommends state Sen. Dan Gelber in their campaigns to become Florida attorney general.

“We have worked closely with both Senators Gelber and Aronberg in Tallahassee over the years,” Ford said. “ Gelber is a bright and passionate leader who works tirelessly to improve the lives of all Floridians. He would be an excellent choice as our next attorney general.”

Ford said  Gelber has been strong advocates for public education and would be a vital addition to the Cabinet, as well as in the position of attorney general, which provides legal advice on many issues relating to education.

Agriculture Commissioner

FEA recommends Scott Maddox for the position of Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The son of a police officer and a special education teacher, Maddox has previously served as the mayor of Tallahassee and the head of the state Democratic Party.

“Scott Maddox comes from a family with deep union roots and has always been an advocate for the issues faced by the working families of Florida,” Ford said. “We look forward to having a commissioner of agriculture and consumer services who actually stands up for consumers.”