Open enrollment fallout: The recently passed bill that would allow open enrollment in any state public school with openings is worrying some school officials. School board members and administrators are concerned that the transfers could disrupt school construction plans, complicate efforts to accommodate growth, dilute the value of local school taxes and make things tougher on low-performing schools. Orlando Sentinel.
Education on trial: Duval School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti testifies in the civil trial in which the state is accused of not fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. Vitti discussed the difficulty of improving low-income schools with a standardized school funding formula that doesn’t provide extra money for poor students. The trial began Monday and is expected to last about five weeks. Florida Politics.
Students hurt in crash: The driver of a tractor-trailer slams into the back of a school bus in Jackson County, pushing it into the back of another school bus. More than 50 students were injured, six seriously enough to be admitted to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Tallahassee Democrat. Panama City News Herald. Dothan Eagle.
Changes for athletics: The Florida High School Athletic Association issues a statement outlining the general rules districts must follow in deciding athletic eligibility. The Legislature passed a bill that will allow students to transfer schools and immediately be eligible to participate in sports. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Foster kids’ tuition: The Florida Board of Governors is working on rules that will offer students from the foster system full funding to pursue an undergraduate or even a graduate degree. The current rules limit those students to 120 credit hours for an undergraduate degree only. Gradebook.
Sales tax benefits: As the Palm Beach County School Board prepares to ask for residents for a 1-cent sales tax hike to benefit schools, a report details what was done with the $651 million the now-expired half-cent sales tax raised. Palm Beach Post.
Contract negotiations: The Palm Beach County School District has reached a contract agreement with its employees. Employees will get an average raise of about 3 percent. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel.
Teachers honored: One hundred and forty-six teachers from Leon County and the Big Bend area are named “high impact” teachers by the Department of Education. Here’s the list. Tallahassee Democrat.
Charter school approved: The Ocoee City Commission approves a charter school application. The Renaissance Charter School opens in August and will eventually have a capacity for 1,145 students. Orlando Sentinel.
Ex-teacher sues district: A former Seminole County teacher who was arrested but cleared of hitting a student in 2014 is suing the district, her principal, the two coworkers who accused her and the police officers who arrested her. Clorinda Megaro is a former exceptional education teacher at Bentley Elementary in Sanford. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher fired: A 46-year-old Broward County first-grade teacher is fired after showing up in the classroom with a blood alcohol content level more than twice the legal limit for driving. Lynn Singleton also let her class go to the restroom unsupervised on Dec. 9, and one of the student’s fingers was smashed in the door when he returned to class. Sun-Sentinel.
Guns (almost) at school: An alert grandfather stopped his grandson from going to Ocala’s Howard Middle School on Wednesday with an automatic rifle and ammunition. The boy said some students at the school were annoying him and he planned to do something about it. Ocala Star Banner.
Opinions on schools: The education “train” bill that was bundled and pushed through the Legislature needed closer scrutiny than it received. Paula Dockery, Sun-Sentinel. Academic coaches for high school athletes is a worthwhile idea as long as it’s not publicly funded. Lakeland Ledger. Florida must do a better job of looking into charter school applications before approving them, and in holding those schools accountable once they’re up and running. Bradenton Herald. A student’s voter registration drive derails, but offers lessons in taking care of details. Tom Lyons, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Student enrichment: The annual Women’s Symposium gives Young Women’s Preparatory Academy students motivation to think about life beyond their classes. Miami Herald. Twenty gifted students in K-5 at New River Elementary School pursue their passions in the Creativity Workshop. Tampa Bay Times. Escambia County students favor Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in a mock election. Pensacola News Journal. Witt Elementary School students get a lesson in stranger danger. Bradenton Herald. The Gainesville Woman’s Club donates $15,000 to help build a “playscape” at Duval Early Learning Academy. Gainesville Sun. Thousands of Florida students are in Tampa for the annual state conference of the International Thespians Society. WUSF.
