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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 01-17-08 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsGovernor Crist Recommends Full Funding for K-12 Education~
Provides $394 Increase in Per-Student Funding. TALLAHASSEE – Governor
Charlie Crist today recommended $33.5 billion in funding for
all phases of education, including $138 million to fully fund
any K-12 reductions that would occur as a result of voter approval
of Amendment 1 on January 29, 2008. “Florida’s
educators are working to provide students a year’s worth
of learning in a year’s worth of time, and we must ensure
that they have the necessary tools and resources to help students
succeed,” Governor Crist said. “Florida’s
schools have demonstrated that with hard work and dedication,
every student can achieve in the classroom. We must continue
to provide the resources needed to create the best learning
environment possible.” Governor Crist’s budget
includes a 5.46 percent increase in per-student funding – up
$394, for a total of $7,606 per student. The proposed budget
also includes funds for middle school physical education, reading
coaches, virtual tutors, and bonuses for outstanding teachers
and prevents a tuition increase for community colleges and
state universities. “Last week, Florida was recognized
as having one of the top 15 public education systems in the
nation. The budget recommendations presented by Governor Crist
today will enable our state to continue making progress toward
the goal of ensuring every child is successful in school and
well-prepared for their futures,” said Education Commissioner
Eric J. Smith. “I commend Governor Crist for his leadership
and commitment to Florida’s students.” “This
budget recommendation reflects Governor Crist’s great
understanding of the need to fund public education in a tough
budget year,” said Dean Colson, Special Advisor to the
Governor on Higher Education and member of the University of
Miami’s board of trustees and capital campaign.
“Get a New Job” New Year’s Resolutions Pump Up the Volume on EmployFlorida.com. Swift on the heels of the holiday season job search lull, the Employ Florida website set an all time record for visitors in one week at 381,676 unique visits for the week of January 6, 2008. This was boosted by a single day record of 74,993 unique visits for Monday, January 7th. As of January 9th Florida’s comprehensive, online employment resource – the Employ Florida Marketplace – offered the more than 163,000 registered Florida employers access to over 520,00 resumes posted by more than 3 million registered individuals. www.employflorida.com. Florida Innovators Share Business, Technology Feats
Via eflorida.Com - New Multi-Media Web Site Gives Updates
on Innovative Businesses,
Trends and Technologies. ORLANDO, FL (January 16, 2008) – Who
better to tell the story of Florida’s business innovations
than the innovators themselves. Enterprise Florida has created
a platform for them to do just that at www.eflorida.com/innovationcenter.
The Innovation Center, a new feature via eflorida.com, Enterprise
Florida’s Web site, presents the voices of a cross-section
of organizations that foster innovation. Their stories are
heard through interviews, audio segments and profiles of high-tech
entrepreneurs and scientists who are leading some of the state’s
most innovative businesses. A range of topics are covered;
from unique technologies developed in Florida to current advances
in science and technology to strategies that generated successful
results. Organizations highlighted are as varied as Prioria,
a high-tech engineering start-up by University of Florida graduates;
VaxDesign, a private biotech firm that relocated to Florida;
and the “homegrown” Institute for Human Machine
Cognition, based in Pensacola. “This forum allows prospective
clients to learn 24/7 about the most unique and progressive
programs, products and services that Florida companies can
offer,” said John Adams Jr., Enterprise Florida’s
president and CEO. “By showcasing the state’s businesses
collectively, the Innovation Center can expedite interest in
Florida from prospective clients globally.” "Extraordinary
research and innovation have their roots and success in Florida,
and yet for too long it has remained a well kept secret,” added
Kenneth Ford, CEO and founder of the Institute for Human and
Machine Cognition (IHMC) of Pensacola. “By featuring
representative ‘voices of innovation’ involved
firsthand in research and discovery, the Enterprise Florida
Innovation Center elegantly showcases Florida’s strong
base in R&D and the relative advances and capabilities
to be found here.” Notable as well is the assortment
of media channels the Innovation Center uses to tell the stories.
It’s an interactive, multi-media feature on the Enterprise
Florida Web site that uses podcasts, streaming video and interactive
maps. The information also is available through RSS feeds. “In
this respect, we are using tools that are new in economic development
marketing,” said Nadia Ballard, director of business
intelligence for Enterprise Florida. Marion Technical Institute (MTI) Earns Prestigious National Honor. MARION COUNTY – After just three years in existence, Marion Technical Institute (MTI) has been named a Model High School by the International Center for Leadership in Education, one of only 25 high schools nationwide. As a result, MTI staff will share their best educational practices at the 16th Annual Model Schools Conference in Orlando taking place June 22-25. The conference, sponsored by the International Center, is a leading event for K-12 education reform. Each year, thousands of educators attend the conference, learning about exemplary elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. Model schools are selected based on a rigorous and relevant curriculum, personalized instruction, increased student learning time, parent and community involvement, use of data to make instructional decisions, and other best practices. “We’re ecstatic to be recognized at such a high level,” says MTI Principal Mark Vianello. “Our students come here because they want to, and they perform well because they want to succeed in the real world,” he adds. “Marion Technical Institute has a strong working relationship with local businesses and community leaders,” says Bill Daggett, president of the International Center. “The school works hard to help all of their students succeed, and we are delighted this top-rated school will share its best practices, mirroring the International Center’s mission of providing a rigorous and relevant education for all students.” As a model school, MTI will also join the 600 schools in the International Center’s Successful Practices Network, where staff can exchange best instructional practices, successful methodologies, and peer support with other member schools. Case studies prepared by the International Center on MTI and the other model high schools serve as a resource for educators and policymakers. For more information, contact MTI Principal Mark Vianello at 352.671.4765 or Mark.Vianello@marion.k12.fl.us. You may also visit: www.marion.k12.fl.us/schools/mti and www.LeaderEd.com. Miami Herald - Florida Schools Rank 14th Nationally Despite Low Spending Level. Florida's schools ranked 14th nationally with a grade of C-plus, although the state placed only 38th in public education spending. Much of the credit for Florida's overall finish, up from 31st last year, among the 50 states and District of Columbia goes to high marks for its teaching profession and system of standards, assessment and accountability. Those are two of six categories measured in the annual Quality Counts report which can be found at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2008/01/10/index.html . The report did little, though, to quiet critics of the state's education policies. ''Florida has had one of the worst graduation rates in the country for years,'' said House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. ``Our teachers are paid woefully below the national average and our overall financing for public schools is pitiful.'' Gelber acknowledged the state's high score for its assessment standards but said the report failed to "examine the impact these standards have had on Florida's curriculum or, ultimately, achievement.'' Florida, though, also had a high seventh-place ranking in kindergarten through 12th grade achievement although the state received a grade of only C in that category. Florida was so high this year because the average national grade was a dismal D-plus. Florida's current achievement remained below average, but its high overall ranking in that category was due to ''very strong improvements in recent years and relatively small poverty gaps,'' the report says. The biggest drag on Florida's achievement grade was its 2004 graduation rate of only 60.5%, 45th nationally. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/373123.html. Washington Post Article: 'Dashboards' Provide Data On Schools - Reports Designed to Help Parents Rate Performance (By Maria Glod - Washington Post Staff Writer -Monday, January 14, 2008; B02) U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has unveiled a new tool to show the public a snapshot of how schools fare in reading and math achievement, graduation rates and participation in challenging Advanced Placement exams. The so-called dashboards, one for each state and the District, aim to distill the overwhelming amount of data on student achievement into a simple format that illustrates troubles and bright spots for schools. The two-page reports, filled with graphics, include pass rates on national and state reading and math exams for fourth- and eighth-graders, national and state graduation rates and the number of schools meeting or falling short of No Child Left Behind goals. Spellings said last week that the reports will "help parents and policymakers understand how each state is performing." She plans to use them to spark discussion in upcoming visits to Washington state, Oregon, California and elsewhere. "We publish data to guide and promote improvement," she said. The dashboards join several efforts by education experts to package growing reams of data on school achievement in a user-friendly way. The Southern Regional Education Board, an Atlanta-based nonprofit group that works with 16 states, including Virginia and Maryland, plans to release state "score cards" in coming weeks. Spokesman Alan Richard said board experts spent months debating what information should be included. "It's difficult for the normal person to know about the intricate test scores that we in the education field work with every day," Richard said. "We wanted educators, parents and policymakers to be able to find more easily their state's basic data on student achievement, graduation rates and other measures." The dashboards can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/progress. The Florida dashboard can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/progress/florida.pdf. WCF CEO Named Officer For National Workforce Board. ORLANDO, Fla. … Gary Earl, president and chief executive officer of WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA, was recently named Treasurer of the National Workforce Association. The National Workforce Association is a membership organization dedicated to strengthening the nation's workforce development system. NWA's goal is to provide expertise and input to federal, state and local elected officials to enable them to make sound policy decisions about the workforce system and to promote innovation and excellent performance in locally based workforce programs through conferences, training sessions, publications and peer-to-peer exchanges. “By holding a leadership position with the National Workforce Association, WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA increases its ability to influence the nation’s workforce development system,” said Earl. “Already a major player in the system, WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA will serve as a positive example to other workforce boards seeking excellence by advocating the continued local, private sector driven decision-making model that has contributed so much to WCF’s success here in Central Florida.” For more information, visit WCF online at www.workforcecentralflorida.com. The NationThe Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following correspondence: Posthearing Questions Related to Federal Agencies' Activities regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. GAO-08-397R, January 9 http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-397R. BEA News: US Int'l Trade in Goods and Services, November 2007. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced that total November exports of $142.3 billion and imports of $205.4 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $63.1 billion, up from $57.8 billion in October, revised. The full text of the release on BEA's Web site can be found at: http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/international/trade/tradnewsrelease.htm. NASWA Workforce Bulletin Headlines - January 11, 2008:
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor current information, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:U.S. Department of Labor Announces $10 Million Competition To Expand Workforce System Support Of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math. The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced a new, two-phase competition to build the workforce investment system's capacity to support careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. "Since approximately half of America's economic growth in the past several decades has been attributed to industries related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this $10 million grant competition will boost the ability of the workforce investment system to support the pursuit of careers in these high-growth industries that provide excellent job opportunities," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. STEM-related industries have been identified by the National Science Foundation as producing almost 50 percent of U.S. economic growth during the last 50 years. While approximately five percent of the nation's workforce is employed in a STEM field, there is growing concern about losing potential U.S. workers for these high quality careers. The competition is open to local workforce investment boards (WIBs), which may submit proposals on behalf of defined, multi-county regions that incorporate various workforce investment areas. Exceptions to these requirements are made for rural areas, or portions of states where only one WIB exists. Joint applications for regions that cross state lines will be accepted. Funds are expected to be awarded in fall 2008 following a two-stage process. First, each interested WIB must submit a maximum eight-page concept paper describing how its region will advance STEM education, training and placement activities. The competition's preliminary phase will close March 11, 2008. After a review, applicants of selected initial proposals will be notified to develop full proposals for Phase II of the competition. Proposals must clearly outline how activities will result in the achievement of the overall objectives of this initiative, including: expanding training and aligning current STEM-related activities and resources at One-Stop Career Centers; providing participants with access to STEM coaches and mentors who will link program participants to employers, and provide advice and guidance on entering STEM fields; and creating "career blueprints" outlining career paths for individual participants. This Solicitation for Grant Applications appears in the January 15, 2008 Federal Register at http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2008/E8-473.pdf and can be found online at www.grants.gov. A virtual conference for prospective applicants will be held online on January 25 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. To participate, visit: http://www.workforce3one.org/public/webinars/details.cfm?id=266. USDOL-ETA Announces the 2008 Recognition of Excellence Application Process. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is pleased to announce the opening of the Recognition of Excellence (ROE) application process for 2008. This initiative was established in 2004 to recognize high performance employment and training-related programs and superior or improved system performance by entities administering and partnering with ETA-funded programs. The ROE is an important opportunity to honor programs that have achieved commendable outcomes as well as facilitate the exponential replication of innovative practices throughout the workforce investment system. http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2578. Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website. February 13, 2008
February 14, 2008
Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
Jan. 15-18, 2008 January 22-25, 2008 January 31-February 2, 2008 February 4-5, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 18-20, 2008 May 13 – 16, 2008 May 18-20, 2008 July 15-17, 2008 Odds and EndsWhere Does Your Presidential Candidate Stand On Workforce Issues? A new brief by the Skills2Compete campaign examines candidate positions in relationship to three issues: the growing supply of jobs that require community college or apprenticeship training, the current workforce’s ability to attain the skills needed to fill those jobs, and the diverse approaches to ending the “silent” crisis. The analysis uses published policy platforms, policy speeches, press statements and action taken by the candidates while in public office. It then outlines each candidate’s proposed approach to creating a competitive workforce. The full brief, Election ’08: Candidates’ Proposals for Growing the Economy by Investing in People, is available at: http://www.skills2compete.org/site/c.fhLIKYPLLuF/b.3355013/k.8B06/In_the_Election.htm?tr=y&auid=3266235. To go directly to the position comparison chart visit: http://www.skills2compete.org/atf/cf/%7B8E9806BF-4669-4217-AF74-26F62108EA68%7D/Candidate%20Analysis.pdf. Spotlight On Poverty And Opportunity Foundations Asks Presidential Candidates What They Will Do For America. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Eos Foundation, Endowment for Health, Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, and the George Gund Foundation partnered to create this project to build momentum for national action addressing poverty in 2009. Spotlight has invited the presidential candidates to answer five questions concerning poverty and economic opportunity. Spotlight will also seek to provide other opportunities for the candidates to set forth their views on these important issues, including a Forum in Washington DC in May 2008. In order to stimulate a national dialogue on poverty and opportunity, the Spotlight website offers current press coverage, commentary and debate, and the policy options. Recent reports, analyses, and data on poverty and opportunity will be profiled on the site and readily available to policy makers and thought leaders. Spotlight does not support or oppose any candidate for public office and does not take positions on legislation. http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/. CareerOneStop's Regional Economic Development Web Page. Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) is a groundbreaking approach to workforce and economic development. Through the WIRED model, regions integrate economic and workforce development activities and demonstrate that talent development can drive economic transformation in regional economies across the United States. http://maps.servicelocator.org/red/. Rural America's Most Prosperous Counties. Contending that the success of rural areas is too often measured in terms of population and income growth, economist Andrew Isserman decided to adopt an alternate measure for rural success. Instead of growth, Isserman looked for which rural counties were prosperous. By studying prosperity instead, he and research colleagues Edward Feser and Drake Warren found that the prosperous places in rural America weren't the kinds of communities usually thought of as successful. Prosperous counties, according to Isserman, graduate their students from high school, have low rates of unemployment, have less poverty, and offer housing that is both affordable and in good repair. To see a map indicating the prosperity of U.S. counties, and to learn more about the study, visit: http://www.dailyyonder.com/finding-rural-americas-prosperous-communities. Quote for the Week:"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." Voltaire (1694 - 1778) |
