Tony Bennett on testing voucher students. From Gradebook: “I do believe we have a responsibility, be it at a public school or whatever, when we are spending taxpayer dollars – and I go back to what I believe we should do, set expectations, set standards and hold people accountable – that we should be able to prove that schools perform for the money they are given.” Full Q&A in Tampa Bay Times here.
More Tony Bennett. Lakeland Ledger: “Let’s just hope he brings to the position a more inclusive management style than that of his predecessors.”
“Life is combat.” From the Palm Beach Post’s Jac Versteeg: “Good morning, children, and welcome to your first day of first grade at Eddie Eagle Charter School. We will be piloting the new NRA curriculum the Florida Legislature has mandated for all public schools. My name is Mr. LaPierre.” Putting deputies in elementary schools makes more sense that arming teachers, editorializes the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Ed funding. The Gainesville Sun’s Ron Cunningham references the Legislatures “slash-and-burn approach to funding education” in his year-ahead column. The Ocala Star-Banner’s editorial board says the state’s “cheap route on education” is to blame for the Marion school district’s failure to meet class-size requirements. The Sun makes the same case for noncompliance in Alachua County.
On the right track. Broward Community College President J. David Armstrong notes how much academic progress Florida has made in the past decade. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Career academies. Students in Palm Beach County’s career academies will get a chance to shadow professionals at their jobs, thanks to a partnership with the business community, reports the Palm Beach Post.
Rocky year in the rearview. A glance at the past year in Florida education from the Tallahassee Democrat. Some superintendents want a break from new mandates in 2013, the Democrat also reports.
School grades don’t show much. Editorializes the Palm Beach Post.
A look at the public comments relative to Bennett articles lead me to wonder if he will even make it to the one year longevity mark. Actually, the FFEIE has only 800 some FB fans and that would not constitute a majority. Stop Senate Bill 6 still has tens of thousands years after SB6 was stopped.