State considers lifting cap on Freshmen enrollment
(Gainesville Sun © 10/01/2008)
State universities won’t solve problems with access to higher education simply by admitting more students, according to a report released Tuesday by an advocacy group for minority students. Higher education leaders are considering lifting a freeze on freshman enrollment at state universities. ENLACE Florida’s report instead promotes improving graduation rates and expanding options for four-yea...

Crist appoints secretary of Children and Families
(Sarasota Herald-Tribune © 10/01/2008)
TALLAHASSEE - New child welfare secretary George Sheldon said Tuesday his top focus would be helping families with drug abuse, mental health and economic stress as a way of preventing conditions that lead to child abuse. Sheldon, who has been serving as interim Department of Children and Families secretary since Bob Butterworth resigned in August, announced his goals after being offici...

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Going Back To College
(Tampa Tribune © 10/01/2008)
AVON PARK - Here's the problem: you're buying a $1,200 refrigerator. It's 20 percent off. So what's the real price? The sales tax is 7.5 percent. Do you apply the tax to the $1,200, or the 20 percent off price? You're writing a check. How much should you pay? If your final answer isn't $1,032, consider a developmental math course. "A lot of people didn't get it in high school," said Kellie...

Report: Universities in trouble
(Palm Beach Post © 10/01/2008)
A statewide organization that studies Florida's higher education system issued a somber report Tuesday calling for reform in universities it says are too big, have crowded classrooms, are academically below schools nationwide, and are losing top researchers as budget cuts continue to threaten programs. The report from Enlace Florida is its second this year critical of the state's 11 pub...

State considers lifting cap on Freshmen enrollment
(Gainesville Sun © 10/01/2008)
State universities wont solve problems with access to higher education simply by admitting more students, according to a report released Tuesday by an advocacy group for minority students. Higher education leaders are considering lifting a freeze on freshman enrollment at state universities. ENLACE Florida’s report instead promotes improving graduation rates and expanding options for four-yea...

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Summit for Youth looks for ways to help in tough economy
(St. Petersburg Times © 10/01/2008)
BROOKSVILLE — When economic storm clouds cluster, it's best to gather together. That was a common refrain Tuesday at Hernando County's Summit for Youth, a first-ever gathering of the people and agencies charged with improving the lives of children and teens. Youth are particularly vulnerable when jobs are scarce and adults are distracted, said Tracy Echols, chairwoman of the event and a director...

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October is Disability Employment Awareness Month
(Tallahassee Democrat © 10/01/2008)
There are numerous reasons why some of Florida's 3.2 million disabled residents experience difficulty finding a job. Today marks the beginning of Disability Employment Awareness Month, an opportunity to provide insight into the obstacles people who are disabled face when seeking employment.

Outcry raised over voter ID law
(St. Petersburg Times © 10/01/2008)
TAMPA — With Monday's deadline for voter registration looming, a new law has brought cries from advocacy groups about potential disenfranchisement. The law, known as "No Match, No Vote," requires that people registering to vote show a driver's license number or Social Security number that corresponds to those in a government database.

Crist appoints secretary of Children and Families
(Sarasota Herald-Tribune © 10/01/2008)
TALLAHASSEE - New child welfare secretary George Sheldon said Tuesday his top focus would be helping families with drug abuse, mental health and economic stress as a way of preventing conditions that lead to child abuse. Sheldon, who has been serving as interim Department of Children and Families secretary since Bob Butterworth resigned in August, announced his goals after being offici...

Florida's gay adoption ban faces court challenge
(Miami Herald © 10/01/2008)
Frank Martin Gill never set out to smash Florida's gay adoption law. A foster parent, Gill took two half-brothers into his North Miami home in 2004 when a child abuse investigator asked for his help. It was supposed to be temporary. But weeks turned into months, and then years. Gill and the two boys became a family. Now, a month after a Key West judge declared Florida's gay adoption law unconstituti...

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FCC To Survey Internet Access, Use
(Tampa Bay Online © 10/01/2008)
WASHINGTON - Congress has passed legislation that will require the government to keep closer tabs on who has access to the Internet and who does not. Backers hope the Broadband Data Improvement Act will help policymakers better identify areas of the country that are falling behind when it comes to high-speed Internet access. The bill passed both houses of Congress, with the Senate approving a ...