School choice: Florida’s changing educational landscape requires policymakers to strike a balance when it comes to school choice offerings, writes Duval County School Board member Jason Fischer for Context Florida.
Career tech: Five high schools around Orange County will get $1 million to expand career and technical programs on their campuses thanks to a grant from Dr. Phillips Charities. Orlando Sentinel. Students get to show off their techie skills in a recent regional competition. Tampa Bay Times.
STEM ed: A national nonprofit called Girls Who Code is working to grow the next generation of STEM–science, technology, engineering and math–stars in South Florida. StateImpact Florida.
Eric Cantor: U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor will tour Academy Prep Center of Tampa today. ABC Action News.
Legislation: StudentsFirst is pushing a bill that would require the state to create a statewide return on investment index and rating system for all schools. Tampa Bay Times. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has introduced legislation that ends the practice of restraining or secluding students with disabilities who become out of control, something Florida has considered. Tampa Bay Times. A proposed bill would give school districts full control over textbook selection, removing the state from the process completely. Tampa Bay Times.
Common Core: The Orlando Sentinel provides readers with a Q&A on the new education standards.
Superintendents: Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has been named the country’s top schools chief. Miami Herald.
Teachers: Thomashefsky, or “Mr. T” as he’s called by his students, is the 2014 Lee County Teacher of the Year. Fort Myers News-Press.
State testing: Parents and teachers worry over heavy testing schedule. Orlando Sentinel.
School grades: Florida’s A-to-F school grading formula could be simplified this year with high school grades available months earlier. Orlando Sentinel.
Budget cuts: Brevard County holds parent forums to discuss possible program cuts. Florida Today.
Doing good: A Manatee High School senior collects jeans for the homeless in hopes of making a difference in her community. Bradenton Herald.
Conduct: Lee County sheriff’s deputies investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by a former Estero High School teacher that involves a female student. Naples Daily News.
