Charter schools: With little discussion, the Pasco County School Board finishes its long-term contract with Pepin Academies, allowing the charter school to move ahead with a fall opening. Tampa Bay Times.
School choice: Flagler parents and students will see more school choice options. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Common Core: The state Board of Education approves revisions to the Common Core State Standards, ending a months-long debate over the controversial benchmarks. The Buzz. The changes keep calculus and cursive writing. StateImpact Florida. More from the Palm Beach Post, Associated Press and the Orlando Sentinel.
School grades: The head of the state’s teachers union says Florida needs to suspend the A-F grading system while its schools transition to new testing and education standards. Sun Sentinel. Duval County’s superintendent does not like the proposed changes to high-school grading formula. Florida Times-Union. Florida senators say they also will take a look at the state’s school grading formula. Tampa Bay Times.
Test scores: A new study suggests college and university admissions offices place too much emphasis on SAT and ACT scores as predictors of academic success. Tampa Bay Times.
Legislation: A longtime Leon County educator urges the Senate Education Committee to remove language from a proposed bill that would allow high school students to replace one credit of physical education — a graduation requirement — with a course in computer programming language. Tampa Bay Times.
Students: High school kids at Hillsborough County’s yearly School Board student forum ask about Common Core, the next generation of state exams and how schools calculate their grade point average. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards: Pinellas County School Board member Robin Wikle plans to resign. Tampa Bay Times.
Teachers: Tarpon High band director Kevin Ford is named Pinellas Teacher of Year. The Tampa Tribune.
School buses: Hernando school board members look at restoring busing for some students living within a 2-mile radius of their schools — but not all of them. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough County school district officials have questioned four transportation trainers who penned a letter last week outlining what they describe as continued safety problems affecting special-needs students. Tampa Bay Times.
Conduct: A Leon County elementary school second grade teacher is on paid administrative leave after she is arrested on charges of DUI and possession of marijuana. Tallahassee Democrat. A Collier County bus driver who had been accused of child neglect no longer faces a felony charge. Naples Daily News.
