From AP article, below:
"Committee chairman Bishop Frank Cummings [far right of photo, seated], who heads the
African Methodist Episcopal churches in Florida, said he was at first skeptical about the
plan, but has since realized it has the possibility of working. Cummings was not
a political supporter of Jeb Bush when the governor was elected in 1998."
Independent commission: Gov. Bush's One Florida plan working
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
By VICKIE CHACHERE, Associated Press
TAMPA - A two-year study of Gov. Jeb Bush's One Florida plan for minority college enrollment and state contracting shows the plan is working, but the governor's work is not done, a review committee composed of minorities said Monday.
While the figures show that the percentage of minorities in the state university's freshman class has been nearly unchanged since One Florida went into effect in 2000, the panel pointed to other improvements they say should increase the number of minority college students in the future.
Twice as many minority students are taking pre-college exams, more are taking advanced placement courses in high school and the number of minority graduate students is also on the rise, the committee said.
In the 1999-2000 school year, there were 10,609 minorities among the 28,989 new students in the state university system or 36.6 percent. Last year, there were nearly 11,954 minority students out of 32,589 new students or 36.7 percent.
For minority businesses, the state has more than doubled its spending with those companies since One Florida began, topping $549 million last year, the committee said. Most of that increase was attributable to agencies the governor directly controls.
The 15-member review commission was made up of blacks and Hispanic educators, civic leaders and business people. Bush appointed the panel's chairman and two others, and they appointed the remaining 12 members.
The report comes more than two years after substantial criticism was aimed at the governor's plan to eliminate race as a criteria in college enrollment and state contracting in favor of a program which relied heavily on outreach programs and financial aid.
"It proves every child can learn, it proves all the excuses we heard before are no longer acceptable," Bush said after receiving the report. "I am glad the critics are wrong, because it would be a horrific day in our state if opportunity was limited."
Critics of the governor's plan did not immediately return calls for comment. Concern over One Florida prompted a series of statewide protests, a sit-in by black lawmakers in the governor's office and a massive march on Tallahassee in early 2000.
The group found that achievement gaps still remain that leave some minority students without the same opportunities as white students.
Among those shortcomings: more schools need to offer advanced placement classes to give minority students the same educational background as whites; there need to be more teachers prepared to teach those classes; and better efforts are needed to keep minorities enrolled in college after they are accepted.
The University of Florida, where minority enrollment has declined under One Florida, also remains a concern. Enrollment of black freshmen dropped from a high of 829 students in 2000 to 461 students in 2001.
Bush said he is hoping that trend will reverse itself this year after the university developed better targeted recruitment programs, including one-on-one attention for some minorities who are admitted to the university but are considering going elsewhere.
Committee chairman Bishop Frank Cummings, who heads the African Methodist Episcopal churches in Florida, said he was at first skeptical about the plan, but has since realized it has the possibility of working. Cummings was not a political supporter of the Bush when the governor was elected in 1998.
"I guess overall the negative reaction was overstated," said panel member Don Bowen, president of the Urban League chapter in Broward County.
"I say give it a chance. For the last 10 years, I hadn't heard anyone else come up with any new strategies."
