Florida schools roundup: Testing, class sizes, equal education and more

florida-roundup-logoSchool testing: The Lake County School Board is asking the Legislature to replace the Florida Standards Assessments test with another nationally accepted assessment test. Daily Commercial. Florida testing is putting a strain on high school marching bands in the Miami area. The state requires reading intervention for middle-schoolers with low test scores, which leaves less time for band classes. So fewer students are taking those classes, leading to lower participation at the high school level. WLRN.

Class sizes: The city of Miami Beach is asking Florida superintendents to help convince state legislators to close loopholes in the state class-size rules. “The Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach consider the education of its residents to be a top priority and has one of its key intended outcomes to achieve K-12 educational excellence,” the resolution states. Gradebook.

Equal education: Lee County School Board members are considering changing the school assignment process to provide more equality in education throughout the district. Some members believe specialty programs are overtaking some schools, which is concentrating high-achievers in some schools and low-achievers in others. Fort Myers News-Press.

Racial disparities: Civil rights activists argue that the Hillsborough County School District should not be released from a federal investigation into racial disparities in teaching and discipline. They say the district has not shown that it’s on the way to providing equity. Tampa Bay Times.

Schools reopening: Most school districts around the state are open today after missing several days due to Hurricane Matthew. Florida Times-Union. St. Augustine Record. Florida Today. WFTVNews Service of Florida.

Makeup days: Pinellas County school officials say they won’t require students to make up the day lost to Hurricane Matthew. Gradebook.

District finances: The Hillsborough County School District could save $47 million a year by staying current on building repairs, updating its technology for payroll and purchasing, and making better use of its school buses, according to a consultant’s report. Tampa Bay Times.

Contract negotiations: The teachers union and the Monroe County School Board reach a tentative agreement on a new contract that includes raises. No numbers were released. Keynoter. Bargaining is at a standstill between Pasco County teachers and school officials. They last met in August, and decided to put off further meetings until the annual financial report was issued. That was in mid-September, but no meetings have been scheduled. Raises and job security are the two key issues. Gradebook.

School rezoning: Parents are bickering over rezoning proposals for schools in west Pasco County, with some asking Superintendent Kurt Browning to remove rezoning proponents from the boundary committee. Tampa Bay Times.

New schools: Two new elementary schools are planned to ease overcrowding at Stowers Elementary School in east Hillsborough County. One would open next school year, with the other to follow in 2018-2019. Gradebook. The Orange County School Board is expected to choose a name today for the district’s newest high school in the western part of the county. Windermere High School is favored by almost 40 percent of the people who took part in a school-naming survey. The school opens next year. Orlando Sentinel.

Principal nominated: David Bordenkircher, principal at the Villages Elementary of Lady Lake, is named the Lake County School District’s candidate for the state’s 2016-17 Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership. Orlando Sentinel.

Superintendent search: Members of the community are invited to meet the three finalists for the Sarasota school superintendent’s job, and also sit in on the school board interviews. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

School elections: Manatee County School Board candidate Gina Messenger accuses her opponent of misleading the public by implying he is a state-certified teacher. State records show that Ed Viltz was certified until he retired June 30. Bradenton Herald.

Technology integration: Improved and more accessible technology in Bay County School District classrooms has led to learning gains, district officials say. Panama City News Herald.

Guns at school: A former student at Coral Springs High School is arrested after bringing a loaded gun onto the school’s campus. Ryan Trollinger, 17, was arrested and a friend was also taken into custody when he was found with a journal filled with violent writings and references to school shootings. WTVJ. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel.

Opinions on schools: The half-cent sales tax for Manatee County schools is needed to meet not only growth-related needs, but the escalating costs associated with public education and increases in the student population. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Student enrichment: Students from Nature Coast Technical High School win a $2,500 prize at the All-American High School Film Festival for their film about a teenage girl considering suicide after being bullied. Tampa Bay Times. Students from two Florida schools, Astatula Elementary in Astatula, and Cypress Ridge Elementary School in Clermont, raise money to buy books for an elementary school in Monroe, La., that lost books during spring flooding. News Star, Monroe, La. Markus Baxley, a Tate High School student with cerebral palsy, will fulfill a lifelong dream by participating in one play during the Tate-Pace football game this week. Pensacola News Journal. More than 120 teachers from 41 Collier County schools receive grants from Champions of Learning. Naples Daily News.


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BY NextSteps staff