Interim chief: Florida’s chancellor of public schools, Pam Stewart, will step in again as interim education commissioner after Tony Bennett’s resignation. The Buzz. Is all this hoopla a sign the top education post should be an elected position? The Buzz. And the Sun Sentinel editorialized, “Rather than a divisive leader, let’s find a crusader who can rally disparate people around a common shared value: creating a prosperous future for Florida’s children.” More from John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times.
Hot mess: The Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell writes that even before Tony Bennett resigned, we knew things were messed up with Florida education. Bennett’s controversy casts a pall on school grading systems. Times/Herald. More from TCPalm and Tallahassee Democrat. “If the goal of school grades is to clearly communicate quality, then Florida has consistently earned an F,” writes Mark Woods of the Florida Times-Union.
Civil rights: The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and the Southern Poverty Law Center file a complaint alleging the state’s race-based education goals for minority students violate civil rights law. Sun Sentinel.
Outreach: Broward County’s South Plantation High School students start a website for socially isolated middle school students. Sun Sentinel. Miami’s Edison High offers dual-language program in English and Creole. Miami Herald. A preschool for students with autism expands into an academy for 5- and 6-year-olds with the disorder. Miami Herald.
Charter schools: An F grade for Orange County’s Renaissance Charter School at Chickasaw Trail could result in its parent chain, Charter Schools USA, losing its “high-performing” status. Orlando Sentinel. Academica is taking over the small Somerset Bay at Pinewood Acres charter in East Kendall, but hasn’t told residents how many students to expect. Miami Herald. Polk County school district receives five new charter applications. The Ledger.
Career academies: The Miami-Dade school district hopes to start a Transportation Academy at three of its schools to meet projected growth of new jobs. Miami Herald.Broward County school district to offer Stage Production program to teach students the behind-the-scenes workings of theater production. Miami Herald.
Band class: The number of high school students signing up for band seems to be on the decline, but educators hope the benefits – like building confidence – help lure more into the program. The Ledger.
Leadership 101: The Polk County school district unveiled its new leadership training program, Going the Extra Degree, to more than 300 principals, assistant principals and district administrators. The Ledger.
Tax-free: Back-to-school shopping got a boost from the state’s tax-free weekend. Florida Times-Union.
Kindergarten: Holding off a year on kindergarten proves beneficial for some students, but the practice continues to garner debate. Florida Today.
School shots: Florida has a no shots, no school policy, which means that students must provide a record of vaccination or an exemption before they can be admitted to classes. Naples News.
Protest: Collier County teachers line up to protest the school board’s recent approval of a 1 percent, one-time bonus instead of raises based on years of experience. Naples News.
School funding: A tax increase in Sarasota County highlights the state’s problem with properly funding schools, writes the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s guest columnist Rod Thomson. More from Tom Tryon.
School board: Hillsborough County School Board Chairwoman April Griffin is giving up her run for county commissioner to recommit to the school board. The Tampa Tribune.
Food trucks – at school: Miami-Dade County school officials want to bring back a popular food-truck program to some school campuses. Miami Herald.
Flipped classrooms: Some South Florida schools are experimenting with a new way to teach students by letting them watch videos or do lessons online, then discuss what they learned in the classroom. Miami Herald.
