Geoff makes a presentation to the SGA.

The Worst To First team visited with Student Government Association leaders at Pensacola Junior College on the final day of Bud's walk in Escambia County, collecting pledges and promoting volunteerism. The Pensacola News-Journal came out to see the presentation, and talk with Bud a little on his walk.

SGA President Matt Lamb, 20, told the paper he felt "failed by the public school system."

"Public education didn't prepare me for college life or even to graduate," he said. "It was all the same stuff: Don't get in trouble, pass the (FCAT), and you'll be fine."

Are you interested in getting involved? Give us a call at Worst To First and let us know.

Bud reads to the kids at Camp Fire USA in Century.

Four days in, and Worst To First is catching on, bringing us thousands of steps closer to our goal to inspire one million Floridians to get involved and make Florida a better place for children. Pensacola's AM 1620 News Radio caught up with Bud on the road for a live interview as he walked, bringing our message to listeners across Escambia County.

The North Escambia News was there with us as well, documenting our visits to Camp Fire USA and New Life Ministries in Century, and reporting sightings on Highway 29.

Bud walks down Highway 29 in Century.

WEAR TV reporter James Jackson spent a lot of time with Bud and the kids at Camp Fire USA in Century on Monday, and put together a wonderful story on the first leg of the One Million Steps.

Pamila Townson, Camp Fire USA director, was one of the people who greeted us at the early learning center, which has a terrific record of preparing Century's kids to succeed in kindergarten. "We're just thrilled that he decided to come home first and to visit with us and to see the area and to help us get the word out," Towson said.

Update: Day Two

This week, Bud Chiles began a statewide journey as part of Worst To First's "Journey of One Million Steps." So far, 20 miles has been logged; a total of 35,000 steps have been taken for Florida's children. While the walk attempts to raise awareness about Florida's challenges, with education being a primary focus, we also hope that each step represents one Floridian, ultimately taking one million steps and engaging one million people to action. For Florida to be a place where children again thrive, Floridians must engage and involve themselves in serving Florida's children, whether they live next door, down the street or in neighboring counties.

After covering another long stretch of road today, Bud Chiles will then busy himself all afternoon visiting children's programs at various non-profit organizations in Escambia county.

To view the entire article, including Google Maps and Flickr links,
click the headline right above you.

Thank goodness for Detroit, which just saved Miami from being the worst city for children in rankings compiled by Children's Health Magazine. Four Florida cities made the list, and three - Miami, Orlando and Tampa - were in the bottom ten of the 100 cities ranked. The highest rank of a Florida city was St. Petersburg, which came in at a disappointing #78 on the list. Miami ranked #99 (just ahead of #100 Detroit), Orlando was almost as bad at #98, and Tampa came in at #94, just ahead of Cleveland.

Financial aid from the federal government could help Florida college students getting squeezed by cuts to the state's Bright Futures program. Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor says the U.S. House is ready this week to pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, increasing Pell Grants and expanding student loans.

Over the next 10 years, the legislation will invest more than $2.2 billion in Florida to increase the need-based Pell Grant award. Roughly 430,000 Florida students will be eligible for a Pell Grant in the 2010-11 school year, Castor says.

Natalia Dubsky, a student at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, told the Bradenton Herald that a Pell grant has helped because it covers expenses that her Bright Futures academic scholarship does not.

The Florida Board of Education yesterday signed off on a revamped high school grading formula today that reduces the weight of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, and adds graduation rates, college readiness and other factors to school grades. Reports today in the Palm Beach Post, Florida Times-Union and Sarasota Herald-Tribune show that some school districts are responding by adding college-level courses and putting more money into programs to prepare students for college.

Districts will need qualified teachers to support those programs -- unfortunately, state support for schools is not likely to be strong. The state's three-year forecast projects a budget deficit of at least $923 million for next fiscal year, with that shortfall projected to grow in future years.

Nearly 20,000 children - from newborns to teenagers - are in foster care in Florida because an adult in their family abused or neglected them. Keeping track of them to make sure they are being cared for has often been a difficulty at the state's Department of Children and Families. But the Associated Press reports today that DCF's record has improved over the past two years thanks to some smart investments.

Among the improvements: DCF hired six regional coordinators and a director, spending about $1 million, and implemented better tracking processes and outreach to troubled children. As a result, the percentage of missing children has dropped by about a third.

Circuit Judge Charles Dodson

This weekend's Tallahassee Democrat provides insight into one of Florida's toughest challenges in raising strong children with a profile of Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, a man helping Florida's kids every day as a juvenile court judge. Dodson says he believes that most children who land in juvenile court can be saved. "I come into (the courtroom) believing that most of those kids ... are very, very salvageable," he said. "They need some direction. They need a lot of help."

Florida ranks 48^th in the nation in juvenile incarceration rates, with a custody rate of 451.8 per 100,000 children ages 10 and up, according to indicators. Moving from Worst To First in this category is a challenge in a state that ranks last in per capita spending on education but 16th in spending on prisons.

The Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, a Worst To First partner organization, is asking state officials to impose an immediate statewide moratorium on the use of corporal punishment against students with disabilities in Florida’s public schools. You can read more about the response from the state at FNDFL Executive Director Rich La Belle's blog.

FNDFL's push follows a report by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch that details graphic examples of punishment of students with disabilities, several from Florida.