TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Jay Collins officially launched a new education platform on Monday, taking to a stage in Tampa to unveil “Operation F3: Florida Families First.” The decorated Green Beret pitched the initiative as a direct challenge to federal oversight, framing it as a plan to reshape the state’s school system on strictly local terms.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Collins positioned himself as a practical alternative to standard political operators.
“Florida’s families need a Governor who truly understands the classrooms, the challenges, and the dreams of Florida’s children,” Collins said. “Florida doesn’t need more Washington-style bureaucracy. We need bold, practical leadership rooted in our values, and that’s exactly what I’ll deliver as your next Governor.”
The policy rollout centers on three distinct pillars, leading with a heavy emphasis on data security. Collins called for immediate state investments into cybersecurity, technical training, and new partnerships with Florida’s defense and tech sectors. He specifically cited a recent Canvas hacking incident that disrupted college finals week as proof that human oversight must remain a permanent fixture in the classroom to protect student data from AI vulnerabilities.
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The platform’s second plank explicitly rejects standardized, blanket mandates. While advocating for customizable career tracks—including college, trade schools, and military pathways—the campaign rejected the idea of implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for all students. The campaign stated that expanding IEPs to the general student population would trigger massive taxpayer costs and create a bureaucratic nightmare, while diluting a resource specifically designed for students with disabilities.
Finally, the initiative targets workforce readiness, advocating for expanded apprenticeships and agricultural training. The policy states that while four-year degrees remain valuable, the state must prioritize life skills and hands-on trades to keep pace with Florida’s core industries.
Collins was joined at the announcement by Second Lady Layla Collins and Bernadette Pello, the co-founder and president of Livingstone Academy. Both women spoke in support of the platform, drawing on their respective backgrounds to advocate for specialized workforce integration and customized learning paths.
Layla Collins, a retired U.S. Army counterintelligence agent with over two decades of military service across Iraq and Afghanistan, has previously assisted in shaping federal policy for Special Operations forces and works as an advocate for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs.
Pello, who co-founded Livingstone Academy in 2003 to serve children with unique learning abilities and developmental delays, also serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for the Florida Trade Academy and is the former board chair for the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
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