The Council supports the efforts of the citizens of Tallahassee and Leon County Florida to improve the quality of life of the community. This blog will serve to provide information for the public, news on activities and events, updates on initiatives, and general ideas to involve community members. The blog will reflect the views of…
The presidential election in 2022 had the highest turnout in recent history at 72% of eligible voters and 77% of registered voters. The epic reelection campaign of President Trump and the fight of former Vice-president Biden resulted in an 8 million vote plurality for Biden, but many very close state races for electoral college votes….
The 21st Century Council and Florida State University College of Education with the support of the United Partners for Human Services are pleased to announce this year’s award winners. The Roger Kaufman Exemplary Community Agency Award recognizes the effective use of data for identifying and prioritizing client and/or community needs and documents program impacts and…
“Woke” is the label politicians on the right have pinned on the left as a bad thing. Today others have pinned a new label on conservative politicians: “gaslighting”. Gaslighting describes someone asserting something as a fact, often over and over, when it decidedly is not. It is being less than honest or repeating lies in…
Teachers deserve more than the State wants to give them My Turn Jim Croteau George Washington once wrote, “There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.” Sadly, today’s conflict is between “your science and books” and…
On January 13 the office of Governor DeSantis issued a long press release announcing Black History Month Student and Educator Contests with the theme of “Celebrating the Achievements of African American Floridians.” The contests are named: Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Black History Month Art Contest; Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady…
In his second inaugural address, Governor DeSantis declared that the Free State of Florida was the land of liberty and sanity. In his speech he referenced the Founding Fathers, Washington, Lincoln and events in history to support his vision of freedom and liberty. His comments started me thinking and researching the concepts he emphasized. The…
Election season is near the end; where do we go from here. The sad fact is that many newly elected, re-elected and incumbent office holders are starting up their next campaigns. It seems that staying in office is the number one priority of most elected officials in this country. Several factors appear to contribute to…
One of the most inexplicable things about this country is its refusal to fund universal childcare. No longer a nation of stay-at-home mothers, the need for free or affordable childcare is ever present. Cost is an issue with many places charging as much as college tuition for the ability to work outside the home. Even…
After every school shooting, gun brought to school or disruptive behavior at a school event, the search begins for blame. Mental health, social media, gangs, alienation, poor parenting, the list goes on. Yes, all of those may be causes, and every individual case should be examined. But where is the discussion of prevention beyond more…
At one time in our not too distant past, public schools were seen as a powerful force for literacy, democracy, equal opportunity, and economic growth. The benefits to society of an informed electorate and capable workers seemed clear to most communities willing to support their local schools with their taxes. Then came race, religion and…