First you will hear Rep. Scott Plakon comment on the budget, redistricting and the comprehensive energy program for the state. Next, Sen. David Simmons gives a detailed up-date of education funding and education policy. Finally, you will hear Rep Jason Brodeur comment on the reform of Workforce Florida and job creation. Individual presentations by these legislators last 25-minutes, followed by 16-minutes of responses to questions from the audience.

This legislative forum was recorded at the luncheon meeting of the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce on April 5, 2012. Legislators are introduced by chamber member Regina Bereswill, VP/Government Affairs. Audience questions are moderated by chamber president, Cory Skeates.

Principal Speakers

Scott Plakon (R) state representative, district #37 Web

David Simmons (R) state senator, district #22 Web

Jason T. Brodeur (R) state representative, district #33 Web

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring issues related to the Florida Legislature

• David Simmons: Legislative Up-date (02/09/12)
• Jason Brodeur: Legislative Update (02/09/12)
• Gun Laws (with Jason Brodeur) (10/13/11)
• Winners & Losers (with Deirdre Macnab, Florida League of Women Voters (04/12/12)

Pictures

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.

Why do some schools receive an A rating and others receive a C? Using official data on school achievement based on FCAT testing, Dr. Stanley Smith calculated the impact of poverty on the scores for 38 Seminole County public elementary schools. He concluded at 74% of the variation in scores among the schools could be explained by the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch at a given school. Dr. Smith then adjusted the point scores to reflect the poverty factor which resulted in a new and higher ratings. This often moved schools with a C grade up the A level. By taking poverty into account, he believes this is a more accurate and realistic indicator of a school’s achievement. Efforts to reduce poverty will have the effect of enhancing student achievement.

Dr. Deborah Camilleri and Dr. Brandon McKelvey of the Dept. of Assessment and Accountability for Seminole County Public Schools recognize Dr. Smith’s observation of the relationship between poverty and school grades as valid. They use the data from schools struggling with disadvantaged students to guide decisions on instruction at the school level to generate student learning gains at those schools. This year understanding the factors involved in achieving student proficiency will become even more challenging as standards are being raised to an even a higher level.

Kristina Marshall was the principal at the highest scoring elementary school in the county. She is now serving at a C rated school. The former had a free and reduced lunch population of 11%, the latter a population of 76%. She commented on the similarities and differences between these schools and the effort to produce high achieving students.

Principal Speakers

Dr. Stanley Smith Professor of Finance, University of Central Florida Bio

Dr. Deborah Camilleri Coordinator, Dept. of Assessment and Accountability, Seminole County Public Schools

Dr. Brandon McKelvey Performance Data Analyst, Dept. of Assessment and Accountability, Seminole County Public Schools

Kristina Marshall Principal, Midway Elementary School

Additional Content related information

• Spreadsheet of data on official and adjusted school grade points (courtesy Dr. Stanley Smith)

Extended Interviews

	Dr. Stanley Smith, Professor of Finance, University of Central Florida, with Desta Horner Length – 53:33
	Dr. Deborah Camilleri and Dr. Brandon McKelvey, Dept. of Assessment and Accountability, Seminole County Public Schools, with Desta Horner Length – 44:19
	Kristina Marshall, principal, Midway Elementary School, with Desta Horner Length – 14:17

In her 19-minute remarks, Florida League President Deirdre Macnab will address recent statewide legislation, categorizing them into winners and losers… at least from the league’s perspective.

Macnab addresses the state’s annual budget, redistricting, the so called “parent trigger,” prison privatization, the elderly, juvenile inmates, texting while driving, auto racing as the state’s official sport, private school corporations, environment – energy and the Everglades, small business tax breaks, tax deductions for owners of private planes, and the University of South Florida’s newly funded Lakeland campus. In a final 12-minutes of answers to questions from the audience, Macnab also responds to questions regarding voter suppression legislation, TABOR-the Tax Payers Bill of Rights, affordable health care, and gun control laws.

This is the 19th podcast Carroll McKenney Public Media has produced with the League of Women Voters of Seminole County, Florida. The event was moderated by Seminole league vice president, Jeanne Morris, at this Hot Topics luncheon recorded at the Patio Grill in Sanford, Florida, on Thursday, March 22, 2012

Principal Speaker

Deirdre Macnab President, League of Women Voters of Florida Web | Facebook

Jeanne Morris Vice President, League of Women Voters of Seminole County Blog | Web | Facebook

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring issues related to the Florida Legislature

• 2012 Legislative Session Report (04/12/12)
• David Simmons: Legislative Up-date (02/09/12)
• Jason Brodeur: Legislative Update (02/09/12)

Pictures

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos. Event photographs courtesy Charles E. Miller.

Central Florida Matters encourages you to post your own reaction to this commentary. Below, you will find useful links related to the commentary, including a transcript, biographical information and related pictures.

Should you wish to be considered for a commentary segment on Central Florida Matters, please click on the “contact” link to send us an email which should include adequate information for us to understand your issue. And please include a daytime telephone number where we may reach you.

Paul Sladek Chairman of the board of the Oviedo ~ Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce, and associate attorney, Cloninger & Files, Oviedo, Fl. bio | transcript

Additional Content Related Information

Oviedo ~ Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce

With some exceptions, Florida’s constitution gives you the right to inspect or copy any public record made or received in connection with the official business of governments in Florida including our cities, counties, school boards and all entities created by law or the constitution. Additionally, all meetings of any of these bodies at which official acts are to be taken, discussed or transacted shall be open and notice provided to you.

You’ll hear from a state wide watchdog foundation, and locally, from a news editor, a media lawyer, 2-elected officials and a former city manager — each experienced in the nuance of open records and open meetings of your local and state government.

Principal Participants

	Barbara Petersen President, First Amendment Foundation web | bio		Bob Shaw Editor, government and politics, Orlando Sentinel web | bio
	Dr. Michael Abels Former city manager, instructor, UCF School of Public Administration web | bio		James Lussier Attorney, Mateer & Harbert web | bio
	Bob Dallari Commissioner, Seminole County Board of County Commissioners web | bio		Charles Lacey Mayor, City of Winter Springs, Fl. web | bio

Content related web sites:

• First Amendment Foundation of Florida
• Florida Society of News Editors
• Office of the Attorney General, State of Florida
• Florida’s Sunshine Laws

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church was founded in 1912 by Slovak farmers who settled the town of Slavia. The original wooden church was 16 by 20 feet just enough for the 25 members. Today, 100 years later, the church campus is one of the largest Lutheran congregations in the country.

In this feature three members of St. Luke’s church tell the story of the centennial celebration. First, Judy Duda gives an account of the early years of the settlers and the church. She describes the succession of buildings that were erected to accommodate the growth of the church over 100 years.

Nikki Rach, the Director of Stewardship for the church and its school, explains the series of service projects initiated by the church to expand their contribution to the community. Inspired by their faith and their history, church members are giving time, talent, treasure and testimony to others by volunteering with organizations that help those in need.

Kristin Sellers is one of the volunteers participating in the Servant Projects. She describes how this experience has touched her heart.

Principal Speakers

	Nikki Rach Director of Stewardship Development, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and School		Judy Duda Member, Centennial Committee
	Kristin Sellers St. Luke’s Church Servant Projects volunteer

Additional Content related information

• St. Luke’s Lutheran Church

CMF podcasts related to this feature

• History of Slavia
• Shepherd’s Hope Health Clinic

Pictures

Extended Interviews

	Nikki Rach Director of Stewardship Development for St .Luke’s Lutheran Church and School with Desta Horner Length – 25:07
	Judy Duda, member, Centennial Committee with Desta Horner Length: 16:58
	Kristin Sellers, St. Luke’s Church Servant Projects volunteer with Desta Horner Length: 09:34

This podcast will summarize a story about an historic family’s promise to its matriarch, and that family’s six-figure gift to the city to incent the purchase of an old and empty Post Office building representing what some believe to be a unique opportunity too good to let unknown factors stall the vision.

Principal Participants

Arthur Evans President, Nelson & Co.

Oviedo City Council and staff web

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring issues related to this subject

• Historic Downtown Oviedo (3/10/11)
• Oviedo On The Park (3/10/11)
• Adicks: The Life of John Lee (1/31/11)
• Commentary – A Memorial to an Oviedo Pioneer: Clara Evans (9/9/2010)
• Commentary. Oviedo Historical Society’s New Home (5/27/10)
• Historic Downtown Oviedo – Walking Tour (2/11/10)

Pictures

Additional text

The story starts with 64-year old Arthur Evans. He and his brothers – David, Charles and Wes – represent one of several of Oviedo’s founding families. The Evans’ date back four generations or more. In his youth, in the early 1950’s, Evans can remember the city population being 1900 residents and one traffic light.

The Evans family – along with ties to other historic Oviedo family names like Wheeler, Nelson and Lee – were, in the late 1800s, initially involved in groves of citrus and agriculture and the stewardship of the land that went with such a farming enterprise.

Overtime, as freezes reduced the family’s citrus potential, their business acumen refocused on their land… such that commercial real estate development is now central to the family’s current business acumen.

Yet, through out the generations, the families were and are politically and civically involved, philanthropically inclined and committed to preserving the city’s history and its historic downtown section for future generations.

This is a commitment so strong that Evan’s and his brothers and cousins made a promise to his mother, Clara Lee Wheeler Evans – now deceased, to help fund a museum-like facility for her beloved Oviedo Historical society.

Central Florida Matters encourages you to post your own reaction to this commentary. Below, you will find useful links related to the commentary, including a transcript, biographical information and related pictures.
Should you wish to be considered for a commentary segment on Central Florida Matters, please click on the “contact” link to send us an email which should include adequate information for us to understand your issue. And please include a daytime telephone number where we may reach you.

Francis Oliver Chairperson, Goldsboro Historical Museum; curator, Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum located at 1211 West 13th Street in Sanford, Florida bio | transcript

Additional Content related information

• New Goldsboro History Museum Preserves Town’s Forgotten Lore

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring local history

• The State of Integration in Seminole County
• History of Slavia
• History of Gabriella
• History of Taintsville
• History of Wagner

Pictures

Republican Jason Brodeur was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010. He serves District 33 covering parts of Seminole and Orange counties. He is vice chair of the business and consumer affairs subcommittee and sits on the Health and Human Services and the Transportation and Economic development committees. Representative Brodeur also sits on the Congressional Redistricting committee that will draw the new boundaries for the Florida congressional seats created by the 2010 census.

The interview with Representative Brodeur was conducted by telephone from his office in Tallahassee. The regular 60 day session of the 2012 legislature is scheduled to end on March 9. You can contact Rep. Brodeur at his office in Tallahassee at 850-488-0468 or at the district 33 office in Sanford at 407-302-4800 or by e-mail at Jason.brodeur@myfloridahouse.gov.

Principal Participants

Jason T. Brodeur State representative – district #33/Republican, Florida House of Representatives web

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring Florida Legislature related issues

• 2011 Florida Legislative Mid-Session Update (04/14/2011)
• Run Up: Legislature 2011 (02/14/2011)
• 2010 Florida Legislative Session Review
• Legislative Appreciation Luncheon

Extended Interviews

Jason T. Brodeur, state representative – district #33/Republican, Florida House of Representatives with Desta Horner Length – 27:50

Senator Simmons serves District 22 which is made up of parts of Seminole and Orange County. He is chair of the budget subcommittee for PreK-12 education appropriations and sits on the subcommittee on higher education appropriations His other committee assignments are Agriculture, Judiciary, Reapportionment and Rules subcommittee on Ethics and Elections. He served in the Florida House from 2000 to 2008 and was elected to the Senate in 2010.

The interview with Senator Simmons was conducted by telephone from his office in Tallahassee. The 2012 regular 60 day session is scheduled to end on March 9. You can contact Senator Simmons at his office in Tallahassee at 850 487-5050 or at the district 22 office 407 262-7578 or by e-mail simmons.david.s22@flsenate.gov

Principal Participants

David Simmons State senator – district #22/Republican, Florida State Senate web

CMF Public Media podcasts featuring Florida Legislature related issues

• 2011 Florida Legislative Mid-Session Update (04/14/2011)
• Run Up: Legislature 2011 (02/14/2011)
• 2010 Florida Legislative Session Review
• Legislative Appreciation Luncheon

Extended Interviews

David Simmons, state senator – district #22/Republican, Florida State Senate with Desta Horner Length