Overhauling Puerto Rico’s Education System

Coming up on today’s show:

• Governor Ricardo Rosselló has presided over Puerto Rico during the worst natural disaster in the island’s history. On Monday, he announced plans to drastically overhaul Puerto Rico’s public school system and move towards charter schools. Today, Governor Rosselló joins The Takeaway to discuss his education agenda and the economic future of Puerto Rico, which was bankrupt even before the storm.

• On Tuesday, Girl Scouts will descend on the Georgia State Capitol to help formally introduce a proposal to rename the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah, Georgia, for Juliette Gordon Low, a Savannah native and the founder of the Girl Scouts. Talmadge was a segregationist governor of Georgia, and many in the state say it’s time for change. Sydnie Roberds, a15-year-old Girl Scout from Savannah, explains why the Girl Scouts hope to honor Low. 

• Last week, a federal judge ruled that Florida Governor Rick Scott’s requirements for felons attempting to gain the right to vote were unconstitutional. The decision was a direct criticism of Governor Scott, the lead defendant in the case, and the Governor is expected to appeal. Congressman Charlie Crist, aDemocratic Congressman representing Florida’s 13th district, and former Republican Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011, discusses why, as governor, he made it possible for felons who met their probation obligations to have their voting rights restored, and Richard A. Harrison, executive director for Floridians for a Sensible Voting Rights Policy, explains why he is against the judge’s ruling.

• Restrictions on immigration under the Trump administration are causing concerns about the future of the labor pool for nursing homes, home care agencies, and assisted living facilities. Stephen Campbell, a policy research associate for PHI, a nonprofit research and consulting group, weighs in on how immigration policy affects the direct-care workforce. And Mary DiGangi, assistant vice president at the Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care, discusses the changing demands of the industry and how immigration restrictions factor into the shifting landscape.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.