Florida education chief tries to calm fears about FCAT scores

The head of Florida's Department of Education is writing parents to tell them that they shouldn't be overly concerned about the results of the state-required exam that's supposed to measure year-to-year improvements of students, teachers and public schools. Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said changes to the testing program resulted in some lower scores, but said the results shouldn't be interpreted as lower performances by students, teachers and schools. About half of the state's ninth and 10th grade students failed the reading portion of the new, more rigorous Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Robinson explained that new assessment procedures were used to measure progress resulting in the lower scores this year. The scores have prompted some school administrators around the state to call for scrapping the controversial testing program.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/jul/03/florida-education-chief-tries-calm-fears-about-fca/

More from Robinson
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120702/OPINION/120709959/-1/opinion?Title=Gerard-Robinson-Our-schools-a-source-of-strength-for-America

Lee superintendent has made his mark (Mark Castellano quoted)
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120703/NEWS0104/307030002/0/COLUMNISTS48/Exclusive-year-Lee-County-schools-superintendent-Burke-has-made-his-mark

Duval School Board candidates grab endorsements (DTU mentioned)

http://jacksonville.com/news/politics/2012-07-03/story/duval-school-board-grabs-endorsements-top-republicans

Van Roekel addresses NEA’s 91st Representative Assembly
http://www.nea.org/home/52399.htm

AFT lauds new collaborative education reform law for Cleveland schools (Randi Weingarten quoted)
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2012/070212.cfm

Studies: Florida could lose billions by rejecting healthcare reform act

Two studies from healthcare researchers project that Gov. Rick Scott’s decision not to expand Medicaid as provided by the healthcare reform law could mean Florida losing billions of dollars in federal funding -- money that could have been used to bring health insurance to hundreds of thousands of uninsured Floridians. A 2010 state-by-state study by the Urban Institute and financed by the Kaiser Family Foundation projected that the Affordable Care Act would provide $20 billion in federal funds to Florida between 2014 and 2019 to expand Medicaid coverage to 951,622 new enrollees, including 683,477 that had been previously uninsured. Over those same five years, Florida would need to come up with $1.2 billion to fund the expanded coverage, according to the 2010 study. An updated analysis from the Urban Institute last week made no funding estimates but, using different assumptions, estimated that as many as 1.8 million uninsured Floridians -- 45 percent of the state’s uninsured total of 3.94 million -- could have been moved to Medicaid under healthcare reform. For several years, Florida lawmakers have been concerned about rising Medicaid costs and have instituted reforms under which private insurers will take over much of the program under the theory they can do a better job of controlling costs.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/02/2878916/florida-could-lose-billions-of.html

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2012-07-02/gov-scotts-decision-obamacare-draws-critics

Fact-checking Scott’s wild claims on the health care law

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/politifact-florida-fact-checking-gov-rick-scott-on-the-health-care-law/1238390

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/fl-scott-inflates-obamacare-cost-20120702,0,3551634.story

http://www.news-press.com/article/20120703/HEALTH/307030023/Gov-Rick-Scott-overstates-cost-health-care-overhaul

For a healthier Florida, Scott must comply with law

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/scott-bondi-must-face-reality-of-affordable-care-act/1238364

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/editorial-for-a-healthier-florida-gov-scott-must-c/nPkRq/

Scott: State weighing moves in voter purge

http://www.news-press.com/article/20120702/NEWS0107/120702007/Scott-State-weighing-moves-voter-purge

Professor: Voter purge is harassment and a waste of time
http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/professor-voter-purge-harassment-waste-time/nPkTr/

Tossing tax dollars to select businesses

http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2012/jul/02/upfront-money-to-draw-businesses-includes-risk-ar-422677/

http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2012/jul/03/tossing-tax-dollars-to-select-businesses-ar-423284/

Corporate profits at all-time high

http://www.alternet.org/economy/156042/corporate_profits_at_all-time_high%3B_wages_at_all-time_low%3A_can_we_call_it_class_war_yet

Poor land in jail as companies add huge fees for probation (yet another down side to privatization)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/us/probation-fees-multiply-as-companies-profit.html

Health-care law’s Medicaid provision too good to pass up

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/health-care-laws-medicaid-provision-too-good-to-pass-up/2012/07/02/gJQABxkJJW_story.html

http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/will-rick-scott-and-other-gop-governors-really-turn-away-medicaid-expansion

Don't be misled; health care ruling benefits seniors

http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2012/jul/03/naopino1-dont-be-misled-health-care-ruling-benefit-ar-423111/