Rick Scott Focuses on Education, Hits Charlie Crist

Gov. Rick Scott focused on education on Monday, showcasing his calls to raise K-12 funding, looking at standards and assessment and trying to keep higher education affordable.

Everyone in Florida deserves to live the American dream and that starts with a great education, Scott said. We want to make sure that our students have every opportunity to succeed in the classroom and in their careers, and we want to make sure our teachers have every tool they need to make that possible.

Scott also kept his fire on former Gov. Charlie Crist. Despite having spent most of his political career as a Republican, Crist is the favorite to win the Democratic primary on Tuesday to challenge Scott in November.

By continuing to invest in our K-12 schools with record per-pupil funding, and keeping college affordable for Florida students, well undo the damage done by Charlie Crist when he cut funding and slammed students by allowing tuition hikes year after year, Scott said.

Scott pointed toward his call for a record $18.9 billion in funding for public schools including per-pupil funding of $7,176, the highest in state history for K-12. The governor also proposed creating a review committee to look at curriculum as he tries to use his Florida Standards instead of Common Core. Scott also called for the education commissioner to "conduct a thorough investigation of all standardized tests. The governor also supported higher pay for excellent teachers and spending more on digital education and school safety.

In terms of colleges, Scott highlighted his call for more STEM training, informing students upfront about the costs of higher education and renewed his push for state colleges to offer degrees at or less than $10,000.