Florida roundup: Charter schools, Common Core, prayer and more

Charter schools. Florida State College at Jacksonville prepares to close its charter school. Florida Times-Union. The Duval County School Board green lights a separate charter proposal. Times-Union. The school district in Pinellas County considers taking over a charter school for at-risk students. Tampa Bay Times. A second Pinellas charter school is set to close in June. Tampa Tribune. A municipal charter in Miami-Dade gets a new director. Miami Herald. A Sunshine State News columnist chides liberals for their stances on charter schools.

florida-roundup-logoCommon Core. While Florida is largely sticking with the standards, the political backlash against them is prompting some legislative changes. Associated Press. One example: A textbook bill that cleared a House panel Tuesday. Extra credit. That’s not enough for opponents of the standards, who are calling “mayday” to their allies nationally. Sentinel School Zone.

Prayer. A family says their 5-year-old daughter was told not to pray in her Seminole County school. Orlando Sentinel. The incident stirs controversy. WKMGGradebook.

Dual enrollment. The Lee County School Board reaches a deal with local colleges to cover the costs. Fort Myers News-Press.

Student safety. The Hillsborough County School Board approves a settlement in the wake of a girl’s death. Tampa TribuneTampa Bay Times.

Employees. The Pasco school board overturns an employees suspension. Tampa TribuneGradebook. A Vietnamese former employee alleges racial discrimination in a lawsuit against the Palm Beach County school district. Extra Credit.

Administration. The Walton school board prepares to appoint a new superintendent. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Teachers. Volusia County schools have more than 600 first-year teachers. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Transportation. The Hernando school board considers a “hub” model. Gradebook.

 


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BY Travis Pillow

Travis Pillow is Director of Thought Leadership at Step Up For Students and editor of NextSteps. He lives in Sanford, Fla. with his wife and two children. A former Tallahassee statehouse reporter, he most recently worked at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a research organization at Arizona State University, where he studied community-led learning innovation and school systems' responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. He can be reached at tpillow (at) sufs.org.