In Florida, we aspire for our third-graders to read. In China, they speak three languages.

We are not creating a state religion. It's about parental choice.

Florida is the microcosm of the entire nation. What issue is there nationally that is not an issue in Florida?

We're all born with natural talents for something. Trying to match up those natural talents with their dreams, that's the general theme. Kids go to school and they do school work, but no one tells them why it matters.

With all due respect to New Hampshire and Iowa, nowhere are you going to be on a national stage like Florida. You're going to get questions about Israel, Latin America, immigration. It's the old South, it's Latin, it's Midwestern, it's rural and urban.

If you transform education, you're not going to see the results for 10 to 12 years. We are not in a system that rewards 10-year outlooks, we're in a system that rewards how the papers tomorrow write about things. We're willing to allow history to be the judge of our work.

It is impossible to win the presidency of the United States without winning Florida and it would behoove the parties to be sure their nominee is palatable in Florida.

The idea that we have to have a system that is uniform everywhere all schools look alike, the same desk, the same light, all the same over and over. Maybe 12 years is too short or too long. Maybe it should be year-round. Maybe it should be longer days. I don't know, all I'm trying to do is start that debate.

Alex is a good guy and it's obviously unfortunate what happened. It's none of my business. It's an internal Senate matter.