Is Florida’s Gov. a Big-Education-Spending Liberal?

by David Safier

Tea Party favorite, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, wants to add $1 billion to the state's school budget.

Mr. Scott, whose popularity has tumbled this year, proposed $1 billion in new money for Florida schools despite a yawning budget deficit. Putting heft behind his words, he vowed to veto any budget bill that did not “significantly increase state education funding.”

Jan Brewer, take heed! Arizona has already shown its desire to follow the lead of the "Florida Education Miracle" before. Can we expect an announcement of more state spending on education soon?

Speaking of the "Florida Education Miracle," here are some of the stats.

Florida ranks near the bottom in the nation in terms of education spending, teacher salaries and graduation rates.

Florida has regularly been near the bottom in graduation rates — below Arizona, if I recall correctly. The state's main claim to fame, a rise in 4th grade reading scores, especially among Hispanic children, is based on bogus conclusions from questionable data. The "Florida Education Miracle" is mostly snake oil.