The Collins Center has worked on a variety of education-related projects over the last 20 years. The following is a synopsis of some of this work.
Public Education
The Center participated in an Equity in Education Opportunity Task Force established to ascertain if schools are receiving the equitable resources needed to carry out their educational missions.
Civic Education
In 1999, the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc. developed The Collins Legislative Classroom, a pilot model program designed to increase high school student knowledge about the democratic process and how government works. The Collins Legislative Classroom combined the creative use of classroom technology and distance learning with experiential civic learning and development of leadership skills. This program provided hands-on experience in how state government works, blending in the Florida Law Related Education's Association's Florida CivicEd website. Participating students used the Internet to talk with government leaders and each other, to strengthen their reading comprehension, writing skills, and participate in technology-based learning. Community partners in the Collins Legislative Classroom included The Miami Herald, Ft. Lauderdale's Sun Sentinel, and The Palm Beach Post. The Collins Center hosted 40 students and teachers in Tallahassee for the first Collins Legislative Classroom, March 12-14, 2000.
Education Commission of Palm Beach
The Education Commission of Palm Beach was established to serve as a springboard for educational reform in Palm Beach County. Their mission includes carefully reviewing and evaluating the existing Palm Beach County education system, advocating for the establishment of research-based solutions, and recommending county-wide comprehensive plans to promote the successful education of their youth. The Collins Center developed a strategic plan to assist the Commission in carrying out their mission. The strategic plan included a three-phase planning process to provide the Commission with the collective ability to identify issues, research issues, develop solutions, communicate results, and measure success.
Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program
A new scholarship program entitled the "The Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program” (F.S. 220.187) was passed during the 2001 legislative session with implementation commencing January 1, 2002. This scholarship program was designed to assist Florida's low-income families who wanted to send their children to a private school or to another public school through a scholarship program funded by corporations.
One of the most important issues in education, especially in the last few years, is the question of whether education funding is "adequate.” Unfortunately, this debate is hindered by widespread ignorance, confusion and misunderstanding about how much we actually spend on education. This January 2006 study examines public education funding in Florida. As in most states, Florida has a state funding formula that is lengthy and complex. This study discusses the facts of Florida public school funding in detail. It explains the sources of revenue and the expenditure of funds, reporting figures for each of the state's 67 districts. It also analyzes the trend in current expenditures – that is, the day-to-day operating costs of schools – to address the question of whether they have been rising or falling in recent years.
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