Charter schools: The Legislature considers proposals that would make it easier for the nontraditional public schools to open and provide more oversight. Sun Sentinel. Renaissance Charter Inc., one of the largest charter school operators in the country, is growing in North Florida despite a mixed record of achievement. Florida Times-Union. Lawmakers look at changes to the charter school process, including state review of applications. The Tampa Tribune.
Magnet schools: Turning three Polk County schools into magnet schools next fall leaves some students traveling farther to a new school. The Ledger.
Same-sex schools: WLRN in Miami looks at the latest legislative proposal to create more single-gender classrooms in Florida.
Teachers: In a year when Florida’s public school teachers are getting substantial raises, substitutes will see no bump in their paychecks. Orlando Sentinel.
School safety: St. Lucie County School District students will see new deputies in their schools, thanks to a national grant allowing the school resource officer program to expand. TC Palm. School mental health workers grapple with the best way to offer students such services in a patchwork, underfunded system. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Common Core: Republican Party of Florida activists vote to oppose the Common Core education standards in a sign of growing anger over the national school benchmarks. News Service of Florida. Gov. Rick Scott says the state will unveil its revisions to the standards next week. News Service of Florida. More from The Florida Current.
Writing: Owing to this generation’s addiction to texting, tweeting and updating their status every two minutes, writing skills seem to be in decline, says Terry Friedlander for Florida Today.
Scholarships: Bright Futures community service shouldn’t include work for business and politics, writes the Sun Sentinel.
STEM: Sixteen teams of teenagers from Pinellas County high schools compete in the First Tech Challenge Robotics Pinellas League Championship. Tampa Bay Times. The Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida introduces students to the world of science. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Sick day: As many as 242 bus drivers out of 1,300 call in sick, in response to a 17 percent spike in their healthcare costs that kicked in Jan. 1. Miami Herald.
Tony Bennett: The former Florida education commissioner hires top criminal defense attorneys to fight charges that he misused state resources in Indiana to campaign for office. Associated Press.
School tax: About 20 percent of Pinellas County property taxes that go toward schools benefits technology, arts, music and reading programs. Tampa Bay Times.
Conduct: A Broward County social studies teacher has been suspended without pay for pawning school property. Sun Sentinel.
