Ed summit: Education leaders from across the state convene for a three-day conference that could shape the future of teaching, testing and a school-grading system. Palm Beach Post. More from the Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press, Tampa Bay Times. Long before the summit, former Education Commissioner Tony Bennett had made it clear he might recommend Florida shift gears and pick a new replacement for FCAT other than PARCC. School Zone. Interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart tells reporters her goal for the summit is to listen. StateImpact Florida.
Common Core: Tampa Bay Times’ columnist Dan DeWitt confirms that Common Core State Standards will not allow the federal government to mine the DNA of unsuspecting students among other criticisms of the new measures.
PTA: A Weston parent-teacher association is reinstated after it was shut down for paying members $10 an hour to volunteer and for keeping shoddy financial records. Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools: The Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations is not supporting Broward County’s proposed construction of Trails charter school because there are too many schools in the area, the group says. Sun Sentinel. Lake Wales Charter Schools grapples with a good thing: an increase in enrollment. The Ledger.
Class size: Duval County has a plan that includes giving teachers extra pay if they choose to teach another class and moving teachers from under-enrolled schools to schools that enrolled more students than anticipated. Florida Times-Union.
Conduct: Broward school officials suspend Cypress Bay football coach Mark Guandolo after he is caught on national television slapping the helmet of one of his players. Sun Sentinel. A former King High School teacher accused of having sex with one of his students last year pleads guilty to child abuse. The Tampa Tribune.
Parent protests: More than 100 Lake County parents and residents plea with Orange County School Board members to reinstate busing for children who live within 2 miles of campus. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher pay: Volusia County teachers ratify a contract that should provide 5.3 percent pay hikes. School Zone. The local teachers union strikes a deal for slightly larger pay increases for the more than 2,200 Leon County school district teachers. Tallahassee Democrat. Pasco County teachers win their first pay raises in six years. Tampa Bay Times.
Drivers ed: TC Palm columnist Russ Lemmon writes about a rite of passage that no longer occurs at school.
Parent plan: Polk County Superintendent of Schools Kathryn LeRoy outlines her plan to increase parent involvement and student academic performance. The Ledger.
Head Start: The Big Bend early learning program faces federal cuts of $173,062 – the biggest hit to the program since it began in 1998. Tallahassee Democrat.
