Education bill: The Florida Senate passes a broad education bill that eliminates one test, the Algebra 2 end-of-course exam, pushes standardized testing toward the end of the school year, requires the Department of Education to study whether national tests like the SAT and ACT can be used as alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments and other statewide tests, and requires 20 minutes of daily recess for all elementary school students. The measure now goes to the House. Today is the last day such a standalone bill can be approved. Miami Herald. Associated Press. Orlando Sentinel. Politico Florida. The bill also gives charter schools a path to quicker replication. redefinED.
Budget complaints: The Florida Association of District School Superintendents says the funding for K-12 public schools next year is “not sufficient to meet the basic funding needs of Florida’s 2.8 million public school students.” “Considering the overall economic strength of our state, it is alarming that the basic funding needs of Florida public school students could go unaddressed,” said Malcolm Thomas, Escambia County superintendent and president of the FADSS. “This is just not acceptable,” added Palm County School Superintendent Robert Avossa. “It’s just disheartening to see the lack of investment.” Miami Herald. Pensacola News Journal. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Citrus County Chronicle. Senate and House negotiators finalize an agreement on the $83 million state budget. The vote is Monday. News Service of Florida.
Interim superintendent: The Duval County School Board agrees to conduct a national search for a superintendent to replace the outgoing Nikolai Vitti, who is taking the superintendent’s job with the Detrout schools. Until a replacement is found, an interim superintendent will be appointed with the stipulation that she or he will not be a candidate for the permanent job. Florida Times-Union.
Dual enrollment: Almost 65,000 Florida middle- and high-school students took dual enrollment courses during the 2015-2016 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education. That’s up from 49,000 in the 2011-2012 school year. The push is largely economic, says Tallahassee Community College provost Feleccia Moore-Davis. “If the student finishes high school with an AA degree, we have just eliminated costs for the first two years of college,” she said. “They are ready for the academics of college at an earlier age.” Tallahassee Democrat.
Dwindling enrollment: The Palm Beach County School District is recommending closing Odyssey Middle School in Boynton Beach because of declining enrollment. But several other county middle schools also have enrollment problems. School officials attribute the declines to more school choice and charter schools. Palm Beach Post.
New school site: A Lee County site selection committee is recommending the school district build a high school in the Gateway area on the east side of the county. The recommendation now goes to the school board for consideration. Fort Myers News-Press.
Community school: The Polk County School Board is considering a plan to create a community school, which offers education, health care and social services in a single location. The district would partner with Polk Vision, Polk State College, United Way of Central Florida, Heartland for Children and Central Florida Health Clinic, among others. Lakeland Ledger.
District turns away subsidies: The Pasco County School District will no longer accept children who get child care subsidies into its before- and after-school programs. School officials decided to stop accepting School Readiness funds because the state is requiring the district to duplicate employee background checks it already does. Gradebook.
Charter shortchanged: After asking a traditional public school and a charter school to submit a list of things they needed, for up to $1,500 apiece, Wilton Manor city commissioners vote to give Wilton Manors Elementary School $2,000 and Somerset Academy Village charter school $1,000. Commissioner Tom Green said he thought the charter school shouldn’t get as much because, “I still do not think they are the same.” South Florida Gay News.
Student snake-bit: A student at Markham Woods Middle School in Seminole County is bitten by a venomous snake as he was headed to class. He was not seriously injured. School officials warned that snakes are leaving wooded areas in search of water. WKMG. Orlando Sentinel.
Resigning under fire: Two Miami-Dade school employees resign this week after being accused of having improper relationships with students. Neither Alex Osuna, 49, a marine science teacher and girls lacrosse coach at Miami Palmetto Senior High, nor Darryl Ward, 34, a security guard at Coral Reef Senior High and a part-time coach for the school’s football and track and field teams, has been charged with a crime. Miami Herald. Bill Weed, a teacher and former athletic director at Palm Beach Gardens High School, resigns effective June 5. Weed was arrested this week and accused of hiding a camera inside a clock in a girl’s bedroom and watching her for the past year. Palm Beach Post.
Student sues district: A former Palm Beach Central High School student who cut his finger with a band saw in shop class two years ago is suing the school district. He’s accusing the district of not properly supervising students. Palm Beach Post.
Weapons in schools: A student finds a gun in a bathroom at the United Brethren in Christ school in Holly Hill. A school volunteer said he accidentally left the gun there in its holster. The state attorney is investigating whether to file charges. Orlando Sentinel.
Movie controversy: Pinellas County school officials are investigating the showing of an anti-Muslim movie during a history class at Tarpon Springs High School. The movie, Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West, “is pure propaganda that is really used to demonize the Muslim religion,” said Thania Diaz Clevenger, civil rights director for the Council on American Islamic Relations. WFLA.
Opinions on schools: It’s astounding to ponder that a bickering bunch of partisan politicians are, for all intents and purposes, are handicapping winners and losers in our school system in both the new charter funding (called by insiders “schools of nope”) and the worth of our teaching staff. St. Augustine Record.
Student enrichment: Twenty-one Miami Central High School sophomores are surprised with four-year college scholarships from former NBA player Shane Battier, who now works in the front office for the Miami Heat. Miami Herald. Students at Hershorin Schiff Community Day School work in the school garden to donate food to people in need. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Second- and third-graders at the Boulware Springs Charter School research 75 historical figures, then portray them in an interactive “wax museum.” Gainesville Sun.
