School achievement: More Florida students are taking and passing Advanced Placement exams in computer science and biology. Full reports can be found here. Bridge to Tomorrow. International Baccalaureate programs are growing in Florida middle and elementary schools. State Impact.
Raise comes with hitch: Volusia County teachers are unhappy with the school district’s proposal that would provide a boost in salaries but also significantly raise health insurance premiums to help cover the raises. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Teacher burnout: Lake County schools are seeing an increase in the number of teachers leaving the profession, with many pointing to burnout as the primary cause. Daily Commercial.
School financing: Pinellas County school officials are considering borrowing $94.5 million to pay for improvements at 16 schools. Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach County school officials are being urged to join the county government in supporting a 1-cent sales tax increase. Palm Beach Post.
School lobbyist dies: Stacey Webb, a lobbyist for the Southern Strategy Group who specialized in educational issues, has died at age 46 due to complications from recent heart surgery. Florida Politics.
Home schooling issue: The Home School Legal Defense Association is threatening to take legal action if the Santa Rosa County school system doesn’t allow several families to set up home schooling. One News Now.
Church and schools: The close relationship between Idlewild Baptist Church and Hillsborough County schools raises questions for some about the separation of church and state. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions about schools: If the Volusia County School Board insists on school uniforms, it must put together a policy that makes uniforms affordable and available to all, and takes religious requirements and special needs into consideration. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Setting well-stated and easily tracked goals for school districts is difficult due to the ongoing changes in assessment and accountability measures, writes Janet Weldon, director of guidance and assessment for Marion County schools. Ocala Star-Banner. Steve Luikart, chairman of the Pasco County School Board, criticizes Florida’s testing model in a letter he shared with colleagues. Gradebook. The Florida Standard Assessment test is flawed and unfair. Miami Herald.
Executive coach: Palm Beach County Superintendent Robert Avossa wants to hire his former boss as an “executive coach” for administrators. Palm Beach Post.
Earlier intervention: The Florida K-12 subcommittee is recommending earlier elementary school intervention for struggling readers. Gradebook.
Desegregation complaint: Indian River County school officials dispute allegations that they are not complying with a 1967 desegregation order, but say they will cooperate with any federal investigation. The ACLU lodged a complaint last week. TCPalm.
Common Core: Sen. Ted Cruz is the only Republican presidential candidate at the Sunshine Summit to sign a pledge to end Common Core State Standards if elected president. Sunshine State News.
School shooting: The Lecanto High School freshman who shot himself in the head during English class last week was carrying 16 rounds of ammunition, police say. Citrus County Chronicle. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendent, board clash: Three of the seven Duval County School Board members write a letter chastising Superintendent Nikolai Vitti for “disrespectful communication” during a board workshop meeting. Florida Times-Union.
Employee discipline: An instructional assistant at Fivay High School in Hudson is arrested after allegedly pushing an autistic student into a wall. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times. A Duval County school resource officer is suspended for 10 days because he didn’t properly notify supervisors that he used his baton on a student, and for mishandling confiscated marijuana. Florida Times-Union.
School site reconsidered: Several meetings to discuss the location of a new high school in Bonita Springs are postponed, as Lee County school officials consider alternative sites. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News.
Child investigation: Manatee County sheriff’s deputy are investigating a report about an elementary school student who weighs just 25 or 26 pounds. No charges have been filed. Bradenton Herald.
Sex offenders at school: A Lake City parent is angry to learn that a parent who is a registered sex offender interacts with children at preschool, and that it’s allowed under the law in certain circumstances. WCJB.
Sheep update: Two sheep that were attacked during a break-in a year ago at Lake Weir Middle School are doing fine at their new home in Ocklawaha, and one is expecting a lamb. Ocala Star Banner.
Student enrichment: A student provides inspiration to a Port Salerno Elementary teacher battling cancer. TCPalm. A Lakewood Ranch High student’s trip to India prompts a fund-raising campaign. Bradenton Herald. Wakeland Elementary School students are collecting food for hungry children in Manatee County. Bradenton Herald. Mount Dora High students get an opportunity to question a state senator about a notorious 1948 crime. Daily Commercial. Four Ransom Middle School students qualify for a national academic tournament in Atlanta in May. Pensacola News Journal. Two students from Liza Jackson Preparatory School read poems at a naturalization ceremony for 90 new citizens. Northwest Florida Daily News. North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School students learn about aquaponics while maintaining the school’s lab. Panama City News Herald. Escambia County school officials are expanding their career academy to prepare students for jobs. Pensacola News Journal. George Stone Technical Center is starting an aviation maintenance program in January. The program is a joint project of Escambia County schools, Pensacola, FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and others. Pensacola News Journal.
