Hey kids, quit texting for a second. Unless you're texting somebody in Tallahassee. The Lawton Chiles Foundation wants one million Floridians to sign its manifesto, “Worst to First.” And, according to a recent letter from group president Bud Chiles, its strategy is to “build change on the foundation of the 1400 high schools and dozens of college campuses in Florida.”

The group is holding a conference with 600 students in Orlando next month. Sen. Mel Martinez and former Sen. Bob Graham are co-chairs. Bud Chiles, son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, envisions the "Worst to First" campaign following the model his father put together to combat tobacco use among kids.

“We are in the embarrassing position of falling behind even Mississippi in support for health care, education and support for children,” Bud Chiles writes, with his group pointing to state spending on education, grad rates and ACT scores as proof.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter