The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows - Part 6: Summing up Parts 1-5 with Gov. Bush

The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows - Part 6: Summing up Parts 1-5 with FL Gov. Jeb Bush

Written by:
summer - a former Dem, now an independent and a FL-certified teacher

OK, class, it's time for a surprise quiz! (And, Governor Bush is taking it too, as you can clearly see below.)

:)

CAPTION #1: Gov. Jeb Bush reviews the facts by taking a quiz, Tallahassee, FL, Dec. 2001

CAPTION #2: Working late into the night, after regular business hours in his Tallahassee office -- with Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, a former teacher and principal looking on -- Gov. Jeb Bush, our fabulous Florida governor and life-long learner, completes the quiz below.

A 10-Question Quiz on: "The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows" -- Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

True or False - In the blank line before each statement, write "True" if you think the statement is true; write "False" if your think the statement is false. If you're not sure if it's true or false, take a guess!

_________1. JEB MADE FL HISTORY IN 1984. Prior to winning the governor's race in 1998, Gov. Jeb Bush ran for the office of FL governor in 1994, and lost by the smallest margin for a governor's race in state history, by 65,000 votes out of more than 6 million votes cast statewide. (See Part 2)

_________2. JEB, YOUNG TEACHER. At the age of 19, Jeb Bush traveled to Mexico on a student exchange program where he taught English. (Part 2)

_________3. JEB, MORE THAN A POLITICIAN. In addition to developing real estate in Miami, Jeb Bush is also (i) a former Secretary of Commerce in FL; (ii) a co-founder of Florida's first charter school, in Liberty City -- an economically depressed area of Miami; (iii) an author of a book, available at amazon.com; and (iv) a teacher. (Part 2)

_________4. JEB'S RIGHT-HAND MAN: A FORMER TEACHER. Gov. Jeb Bush selected Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan as his running mate in 1998, and Brogan is a former (i) public school teacher; (ii) public school principal; and (iii) public school district superintendent. (Part 2)

_________5. JEB'S WIFE, FIRST LADY COLUMBA BUSH, IS ACTIVE IN THE SCHOOLS. First Lady Columba Bush's favorite causes include: (i) promoting the arts in the schools, and providing scholarships for FL students to study the arts in college; and (ii) being a national spokesperson against drug abuse. (Part 2)

_________6. JEB LEADS THE WAY IN PROVIDING NEW FINANCIAL BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS. The FL governor is not the one who sets teacher salaries in FL, as FL is a state where teacher salaries are set by local school districts in collective bargaining negotiations with the teacher unions. Despite this fact, Gov. Jeb Bush has managed to increase FL teacher salaries in four unique ways, unlike any other governor in this country.

_________7. JEB FINANCIALLY HELPS NEW TEACHERS IN FL. For new teachers hired in FL - and, for all FL teachers -- thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Jeb Bush, professional liability insurance is now provided at no cost to FL educators, thereby increasing the value of a teacher's base salary throughout this state. No other state provides this important, free benefit. (Part 1)

_________8. JEB FINANCIALLY HELPS FL TEACHERS HAVING AT LEAST THREE YEARS SUCCESSFUL TEACHING EXPERIENCE. For FL teachers who have successfully taught for 3 years and are now eligible, and seeking to become nationally board certified teachers from a national, independent, non-profit agency -- thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Bush, a FL teacher who applies for this program: n receives 90% of the $2,500 application fee paid for by FL; and n receives a 10% salary increase upon successful completion of the program, paid for each year of the 10-year national certification. n No other state provides these generous financial benefits. (Part 5)

_________9. JEB FINANCIALLY HELPS FL TEACHERS HAVING AT LEAST FIVE YEARS SUCCESSFUL TEACHING EXPERIENCE. For FL teachers who have taught for 5 years or more, and seek to transfer from one FL district to another (and, for teachers just arriving to FL from out of state) - thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Bush - full credit for each year of successful classroom teaching is recognized on the salary pay scale in every local school district throughout FL, and can no longer be unfairly restricted by local law. In states where local school districts set the salaries, no other state except Florida has yet recognized and paid full salary credit for each successful year of classroom teaching.(Part 3)

_________10. JEB FINANCIALLY HELPS FAMILIES OF TEACHERS SLAIN ON THE JOB. For the families of FL teachers who are slain on the job - thanks to the Barry Grunow Act signed into law by Gov. Bush - the immediate family members surviving such a teacher receive financial benefits for life, in addition to health benefits and education benefits. No other state in this country -- including Colorado, where teachers were slain at Columbine -- provides such benefits to its teachers. Yet, despite this outstanding benefit resulting from new state law, and the other financial benefits all resulting from new state laws - and none of such benefits are provided by any other state - the FL Educators Association showed its gratitude to this generous, caring governor by purchasing billboard ads falsely stating Gov. Bush "decreased benefits" for FL teachers. (Part 4)

Bonus Question:

Following his narrow defeat in the 1994 governor's race, Jeb Bush devoted time studying a certain religion. What religion did he study at this point in his adult life - and then decide to convert to? (This may be mentioned in Part 2)

I added this bonus question because I think it's quite interesting when, as adult learners, we undertake a serious study of a major topic.

In other matters -- beginning next week I will start using better titles so people know more about the topic of each editorial. (Thanks for that suggestion, shaggy eel and AmishDude!).

Consequently, I wanted to use this editorial to sum up the previous five parts of this editorial, as these five parts lack descriptive titles.

Also, here are some links you may find of interest:

Click here to subscribe to Gov. Jeb Bush's weekly e-newsletter, published by the governor's office, if you want to keep up with Gov. Bush's on-going work as governor.

Click here if you want to visit on Gov. Bush's official campaign site (although I do not work for his official campaign).

Click here if you want to find a teaching position here in Florida.

Thanks!

P.S. -- The correct answers to the quiz are - well, you tell me! (And, BTW, as you can imagine, Gov. Bush received: 100% on this quiz.)

Reminder: if you want to check your answers, click here for a site posting Parts 1-5 of "The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows." (And, thank you, RJayneJ, for providing such site! )

I really like that Gov. Bush's wife, First Lady Columba Bush, spends a lot of time in FL schools, promoting the arts:

Florida's first lady, Columba Bush, poses with students from Village Oaks Elementary School who are involved with Project Kaleidoscope, an afterschool academic and cultural enrichment program for at-risk children in Immokalee on Wednesday. Its art program includes dance groups, piano keyboard instruction and a show choir. FL's First Lady also Toured the United Arts Council's Immokalee outreach program and the Ceramics Studio at the Bethune Educational Center.

Florida's first lady Columba Bush promotes art education in Immokalee

Thursday, December 13, 2001

By RAY PARKER, brparker@naplesnews.com

New Beginnings eighth-grader Juan Serrano instructed Columba Bush on the finer points of pottery, showing the state's first lady how to build her own heart-shaped object Wednesday.

"Brush on the water," said Juan, who sat beside Bush in a ceramics room full of government officials, educators and photographers.

Bush and an entourage of about 25 officials spent the morning visiting two Immokalee school arts programs, something the governor's wife does throughout the state to promote art education.

Her first stop was the Bethune Education Center, where Juan and 14 other students showed off the Immokalee Ceramics Studio, where they learn basic pottery and surface decoration, as well as business planning. Juan and the others visit the Bethune Center once a week for the ceramics class.

"It keeps you out of trouble," said Joey Viduarri, 15, one of the students from the New Beginnings alternative school program. "It's now my favorite class."

The students not only learn how to direct their energy in productive ways, they also learn a marketable skill. Joey recently made $35 selling his pottery at an art fair at Florida Gulf Coast University.

"These kids have to see things in a concrete way," said teacher and counselor Jane Ruprecht. "Some of them come from tough family situations. This gives them a focus."

Fort Myers artist David Hammel, who helps teach the ceramics class, agreed.

"At first their attitudes were so bad but just look at them now," he said, sweeping his hand to the students engrossed in their pottery projects, seemingly oblivious to the visiting dignitaries.

In the end, after she'd made her heart-shaped object and talked with the students, Bush said simply: "Everything was fantastic."

Her helper, 14-year-old Juan, said he also enjoyed the visit: "She seems nice."

Next, Bush visited Village Oaks Elementary, where she lunched with the student body who munched on baked chicken, mashed potatoes, yellow rice and pinto beans.

The school is one of several in the county that are a part of Project Kaleidoscope, an after-school academic and arts program.

Bush watched students perform on the cafeteria stage.

First- through fifth-graders started with an upbeat dance to the song "African Noel."

The school has two dance groups. The African dance group Umoja, which is a Swahili word for unity, and the Grupo de Colores that specializes in Latin dance.

The school's vocal ensemble, the Panther Show Choir, ended the luncheon program by singing "Blitzen's Boogie" and "A Song of Peace."

Principal Dorcas Howard said she was proud of her students and their many accomplishments.

"It's an honor," she said.

Bush offers $1,000 college scholarships to students in visual arts, music, dance and theater in conjunction with the support of a not-for-profit organization.

Those interested can go to the First Lady's Art Recognition Program's Web site at www.myflorida.com.

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