The numbers of the week are ...

... 124 and 2. That's the number of bills dealing with education that remain unresolved in the Florida Legislature, and the number of weeks left to either approve or forget them.

Some bills, such as the budgets, are certain to pass. Others have a less known fate. Will  charter school staff members be allowed to participate in the state retirement program known as DROP? Will a virtual high school for science and technology get to open in Brevard County? What's going to happen to the idea of a star rating system for prekindergarten providers? How about the governor's idea that all elementary students have 30 minutes of daily physical activity and education? Those are just a handful of the ideas still lingering, none of which offers a simple solution.

So then comes into play that second number, 2. Can lawmakers really give all these ideas the attention they deserve as they rush to the end of session - especially given that few of these topics are at the top of the collective agenda? If not, is it better for them to approve the concepts or let them die? What's a legislator to do with so many bills, so little time?

Comments

[gatorguy]

Let's hope they all die- the only decent proposals out there the Career Academy Bill by Gaetz (which is a landmark bill) and the gifted legislation that lies so burried beneath junk in the education train that the overall bill will do more harm than good. Time running out on this session is the best thing that could happen to the children of the state of Florida.