Reading scores up: Reading scores on the Florida Standards Assessments were up slightly for Florida’s third-graders, according to the Florida Department of Education. Fifty-four percent of third graders tested at a satisfactory level, up from 53 percent last year. Satisfactory is considered a level 3 score on the five-level exam. Those who score below level 1 face retention. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Pensacola News Journal. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Politico Florida. Sun-Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. Tallahassee Democrat. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Bathroom fight: The Florida ACLU sends a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart urging them to protect the rights of transgender students to use the bathrooms conforming to their gender identity. Florida Politics. Politico Florida. Scott and Bondi still have had little to say about the Obama administration directive. Orlando Weekly. The Marion County School District could lose $53 million in federal funding over the school board’s decision to restrict transgender students’ bathroom choices. Ocala Star Banner. The St. Johns County School District will continue to provide gender-neutral restroom facilities, says Superintendent Joseph Joyner. WJAX.
Teachers and force: The Pasco teachers union is reminding district administrators that state law allows teachers to use reasonable force when necessary to break up fights between students. After a recent fight at Ridgewood High School, a district spokesperson told a TV station that teachers shouldn’t intervene in student fights. Gradebook.
Test retake: One hundred and fourteen Lake Nona High School students have to retake the Advanced Placement psychology exam today because of a “seating irregularity” when they took the test a few weeks ago. The rules call for the desks in the testing room to be 5 feet apart, and they were just 4 feet apart. Orlando Sentinel.
Impact fees suspended: For the sixth straight year, the Marion County School Board suspends the collection of school impact fees. The district collected $11.5 million between 2005 and 2011, the last year the fee was collected. Ocala Star Banner.
School start times: Most Palm Beach County middle schools will begin classes 20 minutes later this fall, district officials announce. Palm Beach Post.
School renovation: The Florida Department of Education has approved a $10 million building expansion for the Tarpon Springs High School magnet arts program. Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher returns: Speech-language pathologist Wendi Lowrey has returned to her old job at Avalon Elementary School in east Orange County. She was moved to another job almost two years ago when her principal objected to her social media posts on educational issues. An arbitrator ruled in February that she should be returned to her school. Orlando Sentinel.
Administrator honored: Martin T. Reid, principal of Arthur & Polly Mays 6-12 Conservatory of the Arts in Miami, is named the national principal of the year for Magnet Schools of America. Florida Courier.
School lunch prices: The Flagler County School Board is considering raising the prices for school lunches for the first time in four years. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Fights in schools: One student is arrested after a fight involving 20-30 students breaks out at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs. More arrests are expected. Orlando Sentinel. A school resource officer is injured and a student arrested after a fight at Olympia High School. The officer had been tipped the student had a gun and asked to search his backpack. A fight erupted and the officer used a stun gun and pepper spray to control the student. No gun was found. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher arrested: A teacher at St. Lucie West Centennial High School is arrested for allegedly sending a lewd photograph to a female student. Daniel Morgan, 29, teaches 10th-grade world history. He’s the third teacher at the school since November to be accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Palm Beach Post. TCPalm.
Opinions on schools: The Newpoint Education Partners debacle serves as a prime object lesson for everything that is suspect about the charter school movement. Daniel Ruth, Tampa Bay Times. The reality is that Florida’s schools are among the lowest funded in the country. Dividing what little money there is in three directions – traditional public schools, charters and private schools – assures only that no schools are adequately funded. Sue Legg and Pamela S. Goodman, Tallahassee Democrat. Latin Builders Association’s charter high school, LBA Construction and Business Management Academy in northwest Miami-Dade County, is a successful educational model that can be replicated throughout the community. Bernie Navarro, Miami Herald. Children are the victims of human trafficking, abuse or neglect, homelessness, poverty or hunger. But instead we’ll obsess on which bathrooms they should be allowed to use. Naples Daily News. The body of knowledge a child must absorb to be educated requires a year-round approach and a longer school day. Kathy Silverberg, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Here are the two things Florida’s policy-makers should do to improve student career readiness in math, science, computing and engineering. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
