Florida roundup: Testing, home education, bus crashes and more

florida-roundup-logoTesting. Legislative debates over testing continue. The Buzz. News Service of Florida. It’s against the law for school officials to promote opting out, key lawmakers say. Gradebook. An army of zombie computers dragooned for as little as $50 a day may have been responsible for state testing disruptions. Palm Beach Post. The state should raise the scoring bar “as high as possible,” a key state official says. Orlando Sentinel.

Accountability. The whole system needs a rewrite, Pasco’s superintendent says. Tampa Bay Times.

Home education. The Tampa Tribune explores the growth of home education in Florida.

Overhaul. Orange County plans to close some downtown Orlando schools and rewrite attendance boundaries for others. Orlando Sentinel.

Transportation. Hillsborough administrators try to reassure parents after a bus crash. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach schools tap a new busing official. Palm Beach Post.

Fundraising. A Tampa Catholic school announces a $35 million capital campaign. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher quality. Teachers struggle to take advantage of a controversial bonus program. Palm Beach Post.

Budgets. Spending in Hillsborough schools increased even as revenue did not. Tampa Bay Times. Lake schools face a funding disparity. Daily Commercial.

Teacher pay. Pasco employees ratify a pay raise. Gradebook.

Migrants. Collier schools are accused of improperly denying migrant students access. Naples Daily News.

Superintendents. Lee school board members are on the hunt for a new chief. Fort Myers News-Press.

Performances. A Boynton Beach school chorus is invited to perform at the Olympics in London. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel.

Safety. A threat against a student draws a lukewarm official response. Tampa Bay Times.

Campaigns. A married couple helps comprise a crowded field in Hillsborough. Tampa Bay Times.

Reputations. St. Johns schools remain well-regarded. St. Augustine Record.

Bullying. A Leon County student takes a stand. Tallahassee Democrat.


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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.