Open enrollment rules: Open enrollment for students in Palm Beach County will be an option only when a school is 10 percent under capacity, the school board decides. A state law going into effect next year allows students to move to any public school that has room for them, but allows each district to set its own rules. Sun-Sentinel.
Alternate test option: The Florida Department of Education approves Istation as an option to the Florida Standards Assessments tests for third-grade promotion. There are now seven options for students, including well-known tests such as the SAT-10 and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Gradebook.
Legislative priorities: Incoming state House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, says he wants the Legislature to expand school choice, deregulate the state’s highest-performing public schools and provide more money to schools that have extended hours. redefinED.
Danger in Duval: Duval County’s schools are the most dangerous in the state, according to Florida Department of Education statistics. In the 2014-2015 school year, Duval recorded 11,537 incidents of crime, violence and disruptive behavior. Miami-Dade County was next with 8,854. WJXT.
Schools and politics: A Boca Raton High School senior wearing a “Hillary for Prison 2016” T-shirt says she was thrown out of class and threatened with suspension because her shirt was causing a classroom disruption. WPTV.
Superintendent apologizes: Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons apologizes to the school board for not informing it promptly about tests that showed lead in the water at several schools. Board members accept the apology and say they want to hire a company to do further testing. Tallahassee Democrat. WFSU.
Lawsuit lessons: Attorney Neil Chonin talks about the difficulties the Southern Legal Counsel team faced in trying to prove that the state’s tax credit scholarship program is unconstitutional. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the program. Gainesville Sun.
Superintendent evaluation: The Palm Beach School Board posts nearly everything the board members see or do, in advance of meetings and after the board takes action. An exception is the annual evaluation of the superintendent. Palm Beach Post.
Dress code: Ridgewood High School principal Angie Murphy defends the school’s embattled dress code as “non-discriminatory, fair and consistent regardless of affiliation.” Gradebook.
Non-compete clauses: An increasing number of U.S. charter schools are having teachers sign contracts with non-compete clauses, and suing the teachers if they leave for another school. The American Prospect.
Gun training criticized: The mother of a 7-year-old Mandarin Elementary School students is angry that the school taught her son about guns without her permission. The gun safety training program is called Eddie Eagle, and was created by the NRA. WJAX.
School elections: For the third straight election, Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas is being challenged by Claudia Brown-Curry. Pensacola News Journal.
Ex-teacher arrested: A former teacher at Ridge Community High School is arrested and accused of sexual contact and soliciting sexually explicit photos of students under 18. Curtis Temples Jr., 25, allegedly approached the girls when he worked at the school between June 2014 and March 2016. Lakeland Ledger.
Student hurt in fight: A fight between two Buchholz High School freshmen sends one to the hospital with a head injury. Gainesville Sun.
School bus accident: Four students suffer minor injuries when their school bus collides with a road grader. The bus driver, Kevin Potts, was cited for failure to yield the right of way. Panama City News Herald.
Opinions on schools: While we frequently teach about the glories of our American tradition of freedom of speech, we sometimes find it necessary to temper that free speech with a little punitive restraint. Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post. When voting for school board candidates, look for candidates willing to do their homework, understand the limits of their power and appreciate the needs of teachers and students. Dan DeWitt, Tampa Bay Times. The best soul-crushing way to squash creativity in early years is when adults become too involved, and that is exactly what has happened when the state decided students must take standardized computer tests on such subjective topics as music, art and gym. Joe Henderson, Tampa Bay Times. Lee County’s Choosing Excellence Initiative, in which students are encouraged to think through their behavior, set goals and ask questions, is a growing beacon of excellence. Harriet Sanford, Fort Myers News-Press. The job for new Superintendent Todd Bowden and the Sarasota County School Board is to recognize that the investigative report on sexual harassment allegations against Bowden left unanswered questions and raised valid concerns — and to address them. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Student enrichment: Teachers at 14 Charlotte County schools receive mini-grants from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. Florida Weekly. The Art in the Capitol competition begins this week. A piece of artwork from a student in each of Florida’s 67 counties will be chosen to hang in the Florida Capitol through the legislative session. Bradenton Herald. The pre-med club at Bishop Verot High School gives students a look at career possibilities in the health care field. Fort Myers News-Press. All the Polk County School District programs are on display at the WE3 Expo in Lakeland. Lakeland Ledger.
