ASK THE GOVERNOR r
C
For release Monday, May 28, 1962



It's time to "Ask the Governor," when Governor Farris Bryant

answers questions based on letters and comments from Florida

citizens.

QUESTION: Governor, a letter from an eleven-year old fifth

grader in Orlando is typical of a number received in the wake of

your recent comments on the coming of year 'round education in

Florida's public schools. "There is one thing bothering me," this

boy writes, "are we going to have to go to schools all year long

and not have a vacation?" "I think," he says, "we ought not to

go to school all year because millions of people all over the world

like to have vacations." How about it?

GOVERNOR: Well, I'm for him. No, we are not going to stop his

vacation. Of course, the details of this year 'round plan have in

no sense been finalized. Indeed, they have just been begun. But

the plan generally is not for anyone to go to school any longer

than at present per year, unless they want to do so, but to stagger

the school term so that roughly two-thirds of the children will be

going to school all the time. But inasmuch as you are going to be

using those school facilities all year 'round we won't need as many

school buildings or as many school teachers for the same number of

children to get the same amount of education they presently are. On

the other hand, as children grow older, and particularly as they get

into the college phase of life, if they want to go year 'round and

hurry up their education (and so many of them need to today because

of the demand for educated people is so great) this they can do under

this plan.

QUESTION: You mentioned year 'round schooling in a recent

address to the Florida Education Association. In that same talk you

said that a need existed for a partnership approach between educators

and government for the solution of problems which concern both.

With the FEA on record as opposing merit pay plans for teachers and

you on record favoring a plan of some sort, if not the present one,

do you think that much partnership is likely?




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GOVERNOR: W-ll, I doi't think that has got anything to do with

partnership. We are a partnership, I know, for the goals that we

have in mind. No one would expect everyone to be in complete

agreement on how to achieve those goals and I certainly respect

the FEA for their opposition to this plan and for their reasons for

opposing it at this time. However, I don't want the school teachers

and the administration and the legislators ever to be cast in

opposing roles. It seems to me that it is -- you know how hard I

have fought against sectionalism between areas of the state -- well,

I think I want to fight also against sectionalism between different

areas of endeavor and different areas of the economy. We need,

even though we disagree and even though our interests are different

on particular things, to have a unity of thought and action so far

as our goals are concerned. And this, it seems to me, is quite

likely.

QUESTION: Well, how about the entry of the FEA into the

reapportionment question? Is their opposition to the plan on the

November ballot -- a plan that is not directly related to education

along with that of the League of Women Voters and many newspapers

that have indicated that they would oppose it -- is that enough to

scuttle it?

GOVERNOR: I haven't the remotest idea whether it is or

not. Let me say that it is a long time to November. One of the

things that we are going to find out -- we are already finding out -

is that the last chapter of this story hasn't been written. The

Supreme Court may write a new story tomorrow, a new chapter tomorrow.

A state somewhere out in the middle west may come up with a new plan.

Trends will develop between now and November that would teach us a

lot that we don't now know. As a matter of fact, they are already

developing. This Michigan case in which the Supreme Court told the

State of Michigan, or the Supreme Court of Michigan rather, what

it had to do in regard to reapportionment was a revelation to me.

And, I think that there will be developing thoughts in this field

through the next several months.

Thank you, sir.






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If you have a question of general interest you would like

Governor Bryant to answer on this program, jot it down on a post

card and send it to "Ask the Governor," in care of this station which h

has made available this time in the public interest. Be with us next

week when again we "Ask the Governor."