Peace talks ease class amendment squabble

The amendment's sponsor and the governor make progress on how to make class size caps a reality.

By ALISA ULFERTS and JULIE HAUSERMAN
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 4, 2002

TALLAHASSEE -- Once adversaries in the battle for smaller class sizes, Kendrick Meek and Gov. Jeb Bush declared a truce Tuesday after a 20-minute meeting to talk about how to make the constitutional amendment voters approved last month a reality.

The newly elected Democratic congressman from Miami and the two-term Republican governor emerged from the closed meeting, smiled and shook hands for the cameras, and declared themselves pleased with their progress.

"We had a good, positive conversation and I look forward to working with our new congressman," Bush said.

Their camaraderie was a far cry from their polarity before the election, when then-state Sen. Meek traveled the state urging parents to approve his class size caps while Bush said defeating it was his priority.

But since the election Bush has met with educators to begin drafting the necessary legislation and says he's serious about making it succeed. Meek said he thinks Bush's "devious plans" to shelve the amendment, widely reported before the election, are a thing of the past.

"The bottom line, this was a positive meeting," Meek said.

Although some questions remain about the amendment, the two men agreed that there is room to maneuver during the eight-year phase-in of the amendment. "That maintains flexibility while still keeping everyone on the hook," Bush said.

The two did not talk about how the state will pay for the amendment, which could cost as much as $27-billion.

Bush agreed to make Meek a partner in discussions with lawmakers, while Meek agreed not to micromanage the Legislature as it develops the laws needed to reduce class sizes.

Meek also met Tuesday with House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City. The two agreed to work together.

"Everybody believes that lower class size is important," said Byrd, who opposed the class size amendment but now says he will work to enact it.

Byrd said the discussions should lead to broader reform to "rebuild the educational system from the classroom up, not the boardroom down."

Byrd said Florida needs to increase teacher pay to keep good teachers in Florida. "Class size is one thing," Byrd said. "There's a lot more to it. There is no silver bullet."

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