Florida‘s Economy & Education System Are Winning (Again) - Top 3 Takeaways

Florida‘s Economy & Education System Are Winning (Again) - Top 3 Takeaways – May 9th, 2024  

1. Not tired of winning. The one thing that’s better than winning, is to consistently improve year after year after having won. That’s not only how you create a dynasty if we’re talking sports, which we’re not, but it’s also how you remain on top regardless of the type of competition we’re talking about. Importantly, if we’re talking about the quality of life, which we are, it also means the opportunity for an ever-improving quality of life exists. And that’s what Florida continues to provide. One of the best states to live in that only continues to get better (this side of the traffic) with time. US News & World Report’s annual rankings for states once again highlights how truly great the state of Florida is. While Florida’s overall ranking this year, which is 9th, is both higher than a year ago (10th), and generally excellent – there's a much bigger and better specific story. The only reason Florida’s not the top state overall is due to our state’s higher rate of inflation, which causes a higher-than-average cost of living, combined with below average median incomes. Those aren’t insignificant concerns by any means, but the good news is Florida made progress there too over the past year with Florida’s job growth rate and wage growth rate being close to double the national average. But what makes Florida’s good story a great one is where we’re running up the score. Florida’s economy and education system, the two that are most important to most people when sampled, are the best in the nation and are... 
2. Better than last year and better than they’ve ever been. Starting with Florida’s economy, the combination of providing a great business environment which continues to attract businesses and jobs at a best-in-the country rate, combined with the country’s top overall economic growth rate for a large state (and 2nd overall) and Florida’s employment opportunities which are also among the best in the nation...our state’s economy is unrivaled. Speaking to its success US News & World report had this to say: In the Best States rankings, strong job and overall economic growth helped lead Florida to its top position in the category. On jobs, the state was No. 2 in the nation with a compound annual growth rate over three years of close to 5%. It topped the nation with a similar rate of GDP growth, at more than 6%. And as for education... 
3. It’s never been better in Florida. Having lived in Florida for decades and having covered Florida for decades there’s still one number that sticks out to me above all others (which is saying something given that I’m a numbers kinda guy). It’s 59.2%. Know what that that number, in education, represents in Florida? The all-time bottom-of-the barrel high school graduation rate. In 2004 Florida’s graduation rate was 59.2%. I still remember seeing that number. Doing a double take, checking multiple times to make sure it wasn’t a mistake, and thinking something along the lines of holy crap...this is way worse than I ever knew. Twenty years ago, Florida truly was just about at the bottom-of-the-barrel educationally in this country. No, high school graduation rates don’t come close to telling the entire story, but when barely more than half of students are graduating from high school there’s not much more of a story that’s left unsaid. Today with Florida’s high school graduation rate at non-pandemic records near 90%, it still doesn’t tell the entire story, however that massive improvement tells much of the story. Florida’s education system has only continued to become considerably better with time. Once again Florida’s higher education system is number one nationally – that's been the case for years now. But what’s new this year is that for the first time ever, Florida’s K-12 education system ranks in the top ten nationally. Who would have thought that would have even been possible twenty years ago. As noted in the US News & World Report: In higher education, Florida – which is No. 9 in the overall Best States rankings – posted the second-highest rates of timely graduation among students at public institutions pursuing two- and four-year degrees, respectively. Students attending its public, four-year institutions also faced the lowest average amount in the country for in-state tuition and fees. In metrics reflecting pre-K through high school, Florida excelled the most in college readiness – an assessment of the share of 12th-graders who scored highly on the SAT, ACT or both. It was No. 12 for preschool enrollment in the U.S., was tied alongside Illinois with a No. 19 ranking for high school graduation rate, and was No. 21 and No. 32 for eighth-grade reading and math scores, respectively. Obviously, there’s still room to improve. Given Florida’s recent history and trajectory there’s every reason to think that it will continue. Florida’s laser focus on education as opposed to indoctrination is frequently fodder for those on the political left which includes their allies in most news media. But while many states are busy teaching DEI initiatives, Florida has taken the initiative to focus on providing a straight-forward agenda free education and it’s working. For the second straight year Florida’s number one for education, but for the second straight year Florida’s also the top overall gainer in education. What often makes the news is noise. Where it matters most Florida is winning and I’ll never get tired of it.