In the race for governor, Democratic nominee Charlie Crist picked the top teacher's union representative in Florida's largest public school district as his running mate. The challenge ahead appears to be raising her statewide name identification.

Karla Hernández-Mats is a special-education teacher and first-generation American born to Honduran immigrants.

Despite being well known in education circles, her pick as a running mate is seen as a wildcard, according to Susan MacManus PhD - University of South Florida Professor Emerita of Political Science.

"The difficulty is that she is just not getting a lot of exposure and people don't know who she is," said MacManus. "And she may be well-known down in South Florida, but she is not well-known in the rest of the state."

However, teachers are rallying to change that, and think her background will impress the large Hispanic voting bloc in the state.

MacManus said that tactic worked for Gov. Ron DeSantis when he picked Lieutenant Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. Education issues - such as parental rights, the place of school boards and the role of teachers unions - have become a focus in the race between DeSantis and Crist.

Ingrid Robledo taught advanced-placement Spanish and worked with Hernández-Mats for many years - even through her three terms as president of United Teachers of Dade.

Robledo said fellow educators are excited that a teacher could represent them in the governor's office, and touted Hernández-Mats as a leader.

"She has an active role when it comes to activism and, you know, solving problems," said Robledo. "So it is true that there is a segment of this community that may not know her but at the same token, she is having a personal approach to people."

Janice Poirier, president of the Florida Education Association's retiree chapter, described Hernández-Mats as "in it to win it."

"Since Charlie Crist chose her, I see her more than I see him," said Poirier. "She is all over the place. She is visiting our local unions. She is visiting the retired local unions, and that's where I see her the most. She is a people person."

The Republican Party of Florida didn't waste time in going after Hernández-Mats, labeling her as an "extremist" and "a slap in the face to Florida parents."

She attended Miami-Dade public schools, earned a bachelor's degree at Florida International University and a master's degree in business administration from St. Thomas University. If successful, this would be her first time holding public office.




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Hundreds of former North Carolina college students are back on track to getting their degrees, thanks to an innovative program called Project Kitty Hawk.

The project started in 2023 and has reenrolled more than 2,900 students who started but left college and are now on their way to graduation. The reenrollment program is an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System and allows students to pick up where they left off at any of 10 campuses around the state.

Andrew Kelly, president and CEO of Project Kitty Hawk, said students leave college for various reasons, but most have a similar motivation for returning.

"One thing those individuals often have in common, many of them wish that they could find a way to come back and finish that credential," Kelly observed. "Because it's often what stands in the way of getting promoted, from them finding a family, sustaining wage in their work, and from really launching that career."

Kelly explained that they contact former students who never finished, walk them through options for when and how to resume their studies, and help them find an institution that fits their needs. He pointed out that some former students return after a few years, but for others, it can be a decade or more.

Kelly noted some former students left campus for personal, family or economic reasons and have found it challenging to resume their studies. He emphasized it is often a matter of tailoring their study plan to meet their individual needs.

"Mostly what you see with this demographic is they really do often need to learn online," Kelly outlined. "They can't uproot and move to a college town and live in a dorm. They can learn when they have the time."

He acknowledged returning to classes after an extended period away can be daunting and many said they need help figuring out where to start. Kelly added the program's counselors walk students through the steps to help them succeed.

"There's an individual you are assigned to, and that person really is your coach," Kelly said. "They help coach you through the program, answer your questions about your program, help you set goals and hold yourself accountable, develop study skills and just be the person in your corner."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Georgia higher education officials are crediting a program assisting high school students with a wave of new enrollment in the state's colleges and universities.

Recruiting officials say Georgia Match helped the 26 schools in the University System of Georgia reach a total enrollment of almost 365,000 students, up 5.9% over 2023.

Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said Georgia Match helps students and their families understand the long-term value of a college education.

"We try to promote the facts of the value and because people can understand value and that's really what we're trying to do," said Perdue, "quality versus cost - and if you have a great quality product at an affordability rate, then people are more likely to choose that."

Georgia Match reaches out to high school students with information on opportunities at Georgia universities and assists them with admissions.

Perdue said enrollments have been down since before the pandemic in 2019, and state officials are looking to boost the numbers.

He added the University System of Georgia saw its growth outstrip that of other state colleges nationwide. The National Student Clearinghouse reports in 2024, student enrollment nationwide grew by just 3%.

"We swam against the stream nationally and doubled the incoming first-time freshmen," said Perdue. "Where much of the country was down, we were up - and that was 2.6%. So, we're focusing on value."

Georgia Match is part of a nationwide trend called direct admission. The idea is to reach students who haven't considered going to college.

Perdue said more than half the students who received a letter applied for admission to a public Georgia college.

"The value of the ability to move within the system is helpful even for those who may not be able to attend or be admitted to one of the larger flagships earlier," said Perdue. "They see a path that way eventually, and I think that helps our recruitment in our access colleges."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping a new teacher certification process will draw more diverse candidates to the classroom.

The state recently passed legislation to create alternative pathways for teachers who struggle to pass the certification exam but can otherwise demonstrate competence in their field.

Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts, said the effort is ultimately good for students.

"You're going to run into a lot of diversity," Tang pointed out. "When you are exposed to diversity in our schools, that actually helps prepare you."

Tang noted even some of the state's previous teacher of the year award winners have struggled to pass the certification exam. She argued academic outcomes improve when students have teachers they can relate to and who understand their histories and cultures.

The legislation also requires districts to develop plans to recruit diverse educators and administrators, and collect diversity data. The state will also establish a teacher apprenticeship program to help support younger teachers and retain them. Tang stressed it is important the programs are now codified into state law due to potential upcoming changes in federal education policy.

"Even though a lot of these initiatives were already happening in so many places, we can do better," Tang emphasized. "We can do more and we can protect that work through this legislation."

Tang added educator preparation programs will also develop plans to increase the diversity of their graduates and she looks forward to seeing how students statewide will benefit from the legislation. She said it should help build a new pipeline of people entering the teaching profession, as the more students identify with their teachers, the more likely they will become teachers too.