Building World-Class Schools:
Read CIVIC's Expert Reports

Earlier this year, CIVIC's education experts completed a comprehensive new study assessing the impact of Governor Bush's A+ Plan on Florida's public schools. Based on the study's surprising findings, a legislative reform package was developed and filed, but failed to pass the legislature during the regular session last spring.

Sign up using the form on the right to receive details about how you can help urge legislative leaders to pass needed reforms in next year's session.

Click here for comments from Dr. Sherman Dorn, author of the study.

Click here to read the full study.

As a parent, if your child constantly ranked in the bottom 20% of their class, what would you do? You would leap into action, call a parent teacher conference, change schools -- take whatever steps necessary to ensure that your child is learning.

Then why are our state leaders satisfied with an education system that produces a lower percentage of high school graduates than 41 states? [1] Why do they find it acceptable that Florida spends less per child than all but eight states and pays its teachers less than the national average, less than Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina? [2]

Our leaders are not even striving for mediocrity in our schools. It is time we demand better. Without world class schools, the next generation of Floridians will be unable to compete in our increasingly global economy. The work of building the middle class begins with improving our schools.

That's why CIVIC Concern is at the forefront of the education debate. CIVIC's state and national education experts have developed detailed proposals to begin transforming our education system -- from kindergarten to graduate school.

You can read the comprehensive study CIVIC's experts conducted in 2004. Check out the box on the right for details about CIVIC's most recent study, released in early 2007.

[1] National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

[2] National Education Association, Educational Statistics: Rankings & Estimates 2006