Here's more about the puppet masters.

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http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJour...EAD03011510.htm

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Business groups propose major changes to education

By JIM SAUNDERS
Tallahassee Bureau Chief

TALLAHASSEE -- Backed by Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush, powerful business groups called Thursday for major changes in Florida's education system -- including tougher high school graduation standards and a revamped class-size law.

The Florida Council of 100 and the Florida Chamber of Commerce released the 69-page report during a news conference in the governor's office, saying that improving the education system is critical for economic development and attracting businesses.

"Jobs follow talent, not the other way around," said Jacksonville businessman Steve Halverson, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and vice chairman of the Council of 100.

The recommendations stretch from pre-kindergarten through the university system and could spur debates during the legislative session that starts March 2.

Many of the highest-profile recommendations center on elementary, middle and high schools.

For example, the report calls for requiring high school students to take additional math and science courses before they can graduate. Also, students would have to achieve higher passing scores on the high school Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Similarly, the business groups want to make it harder for elementary and middle schools to earn "A" grades in the state's annual system of judging school performances.

But the report also wades into long-running controversies in Florida's education system, such as calling for constitutional amendments to relax a 2002 class-size law and to allow taxpayer-funded school vouchers.

What's more, the report recommends using merit pay for teachers and eliminating or scaling back tenure systems that provide job security for educators.

Bush, meeting with business, legislative and education officials after the news conference, said the state needs to stop protecting poor teachers and reward good educators.

"There are fantastic teachers that are treated just the same as incompetent teachers," said Bush, who made overhauling the education system a top priority while serving as governor.

But Mark Pudlow, a spokesman for the Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers union that repeatedly battled Bush, said the report looked like a "regurgitation and repackaging" of a Bush "wish list."

Andrew Spar, president of the Volusia Teachers Organization, said reforming the state's schools will require involving teachers, parents, school administrators and other parts of local communities. He said the report appears to continue a top-down approach of the state dictating new requirements and changes. ...

The report includes at least one key idea backed by the Volusia County School Board, which wants changes to the class-size law that voters approved in 2002. If the law is not relaxed, districts next school year will have to meet strict limits on how many students can be in each classroom.

But the report dealt little with perhaps the biggest issue for Volusia County and other districts throughout the state: budget cuts.

With tax dollars dwindling during the past few years because of the economic recession, school districts have been forced to make hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts -- and face another tight budget for the 2010-11 school year.

Mark Wilson, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said a lot of the report's recommendations will take "political will, not money."

But Pudlow said changes such as raising math and science standards require money. Costs could include such things as training teachers and adding technology or instructional materials.