New Education Commissioner Rings in School Year

YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED ON YOUR MORNING COMMUTE. THE BIG YELLOW BUSES ARE BACK IN MOTION AS KIDS WRAP-UP THEIR SUMMER BREAK AND HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY. CHARLOTTE DESOTO GLADES HENDRY AND OKEECHOBEE ALL RETURN BACK TO THE CLASSROOM AND TUESDAY IT WAS LEAN COLLIERS. TURN TO GET BACK IN SESSION. WGCU. EILEEN KELLEY HAS MORE ON HOW THE STATE IS PREPARING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL >> BEFORE THE FIRST SCHOOL BELL RANG, OUR BUSES ROARED TO LIFE. GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS AND THE NEW SELECTION TO BE THE FLORIDA COMMISSION OF EDUCATION STOPPED BY THEIR TOUR TO GET ELMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY IN LEHIGH ACRES TO ASK THE AGE OLD QUESTION, WHERE DID THE TIME GO UP? LIKE I'M IN DUNEDIN. I WENT TO DUNEDIN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN EVEN HIGH SCHOOL, RIGHT? IT JUST WAS WHAT IT WAS. >> THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS BACK IN THE 90'S OR MAYBE THERE WAS A PROGRAM OR 2. >> THAT YOU COULD DO. I WAS IN PINELLAS COUNTY AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT SUMMER, BUT NOW THE NORM IS SCHOOL DISTRICTS KNOW THEY GOT TO COMPETE FOR PARENTS. >> DESANTIS WAS JOINED BY HENRY MACK, THE NEWLY MINTED FLORIDA COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION. MIKE IS A LONGTIME EDUCATOR WHO BRIEFLY WORKED FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AS THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR. BEFORE THAT HE WAS THE STATE CHANCELLOR OF WORKFORCE EDUCATION. THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IS ALSO A TIME TO SET GOALS RIDING HIGH ON THE DISTRICT'S RECENT GAINS IN A STATE RANKING SYSTEM. LEE SUPERINTENDENT DENISE KURLAND ANNOUNCED HER AMBITIOUS GOAL OF MOVING UP A RANKING FOR MAY BE RATED DISTRICT TO AN A. >> JAY COHEN ENGLISH 2 YEARS AGO WITH A DEA RAID AT SCHOOL. NOW THEY'RE IN A WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF THAT HAVE WORKED REALLY DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE FOR EDUCATION. >> IN LEE COUNTY PLACE RANKING THIS YEAR SHOWED THE MOST GAINS IT HAD IN 10 YEARS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME. THERE WERE NO SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVED A D GRADE AND NO SCHOOL RECEIVED A FAILING GRADE EITHER FOR WGCU NEWS. THIS IS CITING KELLY.