School construction: K-12 schools and colleges and universities will be competing for school construction money during the next legislative session, which begins in March. Florida Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says higher education is a top priority, but it’s unclear how much money will be available and how it will be shared. Orlando Sentinel.
Principal program: The Florida Board of Education expects to detail the rules outlining the autonomy principals will be given in turning around struggling schools. The pilot project could be rolled out in seven districts: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Duval, Jefferson, Madison and Seminole counties. The board meets Jan. 17. Gradebook.
Gifted programs expand: In the past three years, the Seminole County School District has doubled the number of black, Hispanic, English-learning and low-income youngsters in its gifted program. Orlando Sentinel.
Middling grades: Florida is given a C grade, slightly below the U.S. average, in the annual Quality Counts report from Education Week’s Research Center. Florida’s score was 72.5, while the U.S. average was 74.2. The grades are calculated from a success index, spending on education, spending equity across state districts and an achievement index. Massachusetts is the top state with a score of 86.5 and a grade of B. Education Week.
Board clash: New Sarasota County School Board member Eric Robinson is scolded by chairwoman Caroline Zucker for criticizing the proposed pay for an administrative assistant at Tuesday’s meeting. And Zucker temporarily turned off Robinson’s microphone when he refused to follow protocol and spoke out of turn. Robinson says he was frustrated after Zucker refused to call on him when he wanted to speak. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Legislative agenda: The Clay County School Board meets this week to set its priorities for the 2017 legislative session. Among the items expected to be considered are testing and retention reform, trimming state mandates and increasing money for education. Florida Times-Union.
Charter construction: Construction of the Collier Charter Academy is on track for an August opening. The work was delayed for a year to address concerns from neighbors of the Naples school. Naples Daily News.
Graduation rates: The Leon County School District’s graduation rate of 92.3 percent is more than 10 points above the state average. Neighboring counties Franklin, Madison, Gadsden and Wakulla also showed improvement, while Jefferson’s dropped slightly. Tallahassee Democrat.
Summit for teachers: More than 1,000 teachers from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties will hear former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other motivational speakers at the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit Saturday in Tampa. The event is part of the activities surrounding the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Times.
School bus crashes: On the day Pinellas County students return to school, three school buses are in accidents. No one is seriously hurt, but the bus drivers were cited in two of them. Dorothy Burse, 56, was driving a bus that was struck from behind by another vehicle. She was cited for driving under the influence of a controlled substance after failing the field sobriety test. An hour later, driver Deitra Renee Morris, 55, was cited for failure to remain stopped for a stop sign after her bus was hit at an intersection. In the third accident, a school bus drove into a light pole after being hit by a car that ran a red light. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA. WTSP.
Weapons at school: A Santa Fe High School student is arrested and accused of bringing knives and brass knuckles on campus. Several students reported that they saw threatening Facebook and Snapchat posts by Austin Ray Rouse Cormican, 18. He is charged with two counts of having a concealed weapon at school and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Gainesville Sun.
Display vandalized again: A teacher’s public display of a Satanic symbol in a Boca Raton park has been vandalized for the eighth time. Sun-Sentinel.
Opinions on schools: Rescinding the in-state tuition discount for unauthorized immigrants who graduate from Florida high schools would be cruel as well as counterproductive. Orlando Sentinel. School must report sexual misconduct by teachers to keep students from being hurt. USA Today. The focus on abstinence for students is highly debatable when many teens are looking for sex, pure and simple. More sex education couldn’t hurt. Terri Friedlander, Tallahassee Democrat.
Student enrichment: The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools gives about $70,000 in grants to teachers. Fort Myers News-Press. The Cosmetology Academy at Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology in Duval County offers students enough practical training to qualify them for a cosmetology license, often before their senior years. Florida Times-Union. Eighteen Ransom Everglades students are named National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars after achieving high scores on their preliminary SAT. Miami Herald. Anna Shen, a 13-year-old student at Lake Prep School in Leesburg, mobilizes the community in her “Life in a Bag” project, which fills backpacks and bags with basic necessities to distribute to homeless people. Orlando Sentinel. Taylor Richardson, a seventh-grader at the Bolles School, was one of the students who were invited to the White House for a screening of the new movie Hidden Figures. Florida Times-Union.
