Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Whom to watch
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 3, 2003
LUTZ -- Kevin Ambler figures he's on the steep part of the learning curve. The former Northdale community leader is heading to Tallahassee to start his first term as a state representative, and he's trying to soak it all in.
"I am listening right now and learning about so many things," said Ambler, who lives in Cheval. "Right now, there are so many things going on -- and not just in our small, little area of Hillsborough County, but throughout the state -- that we need to be worried about."
Since winning the seat in November, Ambler has been "asking a lot of questions and taking down names and phone numbers" of people he'll need to consult.
"I certainly believe that what this upcoming session does to implement the small class size amendment will directly impact us here," he said. "I think we're going to have to be creative in our solutions, and receptive to the ways we can accomplish the goal without sacrificing the quality of our teachers and some of our programs."
Ambler, a Republican attorney, is the father of two school-age children and is familiar with the educational challenges school districts face.
"For instance, I don't want to see marching band cut or sports programs cut to have money to build new classrooms," Ambler said.
Another school issue that Ambler is eager to tackle is prekindergarten.
"I'm excited about this," he said. "I think children are able to learn at a lot younger age than what we start them at. I think it would be a great investment."
Ambler also has given thought to the supply side of education. Specifically, he's formulating ideas about strengthening the teacher pool.
"How do we get more people to come to the teaching profession and stay for a while?" Ambler asked. "It's the quality of the teacher, maybe more than the class size, that makes a difference."
One idea that Ambler thinks could be recycled involves a program to forgive student loans for teachers who remain in the profession for at least five years. Under the plan, new teachers would be offered a 20 percent reduction in their student loan debt for every year they remain in the classroom.
"If you stay the full five years, then your education is paid for," Ambler said.