District may sue over bill: The Broward County School Board is considering suing the Florida Department of Education over H.B. 7069‘s requirements that districts share property tax revenue with charter schools and that districts accept charters – so-called “schools of hope” – into neighborhoods with persistently low-performing schools. “We believe that it’s an unlawful public financing of private enterprise,” said Barbara Myrick, Broward’s legal counsel. She also says the 270-plus-page legislation has more than one subject, which she considers a violation of the state law that calls for legislative bills to contain one subject. A decision on a suit is expected to be made next week. Sun Sentinel.
New laws Saturday: One hundred and twenty-five new Florida laws go into effect Saturday. Among them are several education bills: H.B. 3A, which boosts per-pupil spending by $100; H.B. 7069, which changes testing, recess, teacher bonuses, provides extra money for charter schools and more; S.B. 436, which gives teachers and students greater freedom of religious expression; and H.B. 989, which allows anyone to challenge a district’s choice of classroom materials. News Service of Florida. A Lakeland couple’s successful push to extend state adoption benefits to charter and virtual school employees also takes effect Saturday. Lakeland Ledger.
Educational shift: The Florida Council of 100 believes up to $3 billion in state pre-K through 3rd grade education spending should be redirected from meeting the requirements of the class size amendment to recruiting and paying higher-quality teachers, extending the pre-K program to 3-year-olds and investing in technology. “While class size has a proven impact on grades PreK-3, research clearly indicates that at least $2 billion of taxpayer money for the later years would be better spent on things like attracting and retaining top-notch teachers and improving early learning,” says Pat Geraghty, council chair. The council’s report, “The Horizons 2040 Project: Prekindergarten Through Grade 3,” will be presented to the Constitution Revision Commission for consideration. Sunshine State News. Gradebook. Florida Politics.
Random drug testing: Monroe County high school athletes and students in performance groups will be subject to random drug testing this fall. The one-year trial was approved this week by the Monroe County School Board. Keynoter.
Teacher evaluations: The Citrus County School District is looking at alternatives to the controversial value-added measure (VAM) for evaluating teachers. Critics of VAM’s complicated formula say it’s “junk science,” and the new education bill allows districts to look at other options. Gradebook.
Contract negotiations: The Orange County School District and its teachers reach agreement on a contract calling for modest pay raises. Teachers who are rated highly effective will get $1,125 raises. Teachers rated effective will receive $840. All district teachers will get a $500 payment. The teachers union must still approve the deal. Orlando Sentinel. The Hillsborough County School District begins negotiations with its teachers union by warning that “our financial situation is rather dire,” according to employee relations manager Mark West. The district is trying to cut $100 million, and says veteran teachers are paid more than those in other districts. Teachers say in 2013 they were promised raises of $4,000 every three years. West says those raises seemed affordable at the time. Tampa Bay Times.
School grades: One hundred and one schools received grades of incomplete from the state Department of Education this week. State officials wouldn’t comment on why, citing a state law that keeps testing investigations confidential. Schools get “I” grades if there’s a question about the integrity of the testing or if fewer than 95 percent of eligible students take the tests. Gradebook. More reports on grades for school districts and schools. Key West Citizen. Keynoter. West Boca News. Northwest Florida Daily News. St. Augustine Record. Citrus County Chronicle. Crestview News Bulletin. WCTV.
After-school legal woes: An after-school worker at Plantation Middle School pleads guilty to three counts of using a cellphone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Police say Roosevelt Miller, 20, sent sexual messages to several 13- and 14-year-old boys. He faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Sentencing is in September. Sun Sentinel. An extended-day program supervisor at Timbercrest Elementary School in Deltona is arrested and accused of stealing more than $5,700 from the after-school program. Mary Coppen, 46, is charged with grand theft. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Social worker released: A Hillsborough County School District social worker is released after two weeks in jail on allegations of stalking her estranged mother-in-law. It’s unclear if Marissa Mitchell, 36, will return to her job. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions on schools: A new Florida law means that every whackadoodle with an ideological ax to grind will get the chance — at taxpayer expense — to attack the school curriculum, and educators will have to defend modern scholarship. Howard Goodman, Palm Beach Post. When the Legislature revisits Bright Futures, perhaps the discussion should focus not merely on whether more money should be spent, but how it is spent. Because we want to keep the best and brightest in state, too. We just worry Bright Futures misses the luminosity of students who might shine with just a little more polish. TCPalm.
Student enrichment: Two central Florida students win Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards. Tony Moreno, who graduated in May from Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, was chosen best actor, and Sofia Deler, a junior at Boone High School, was named best actress. Orlando Sentinel. Manatee County School District students win more top awards than any other school district at the National Technology Student Association competition in Orlando. Bradenton Herald. Volunteers to children without fathers are honored at a Fathers in Education Day at Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary School in Miami. Miami Herald. Fifty Alta Vista Elementary School 1st-graders are learning to write music at the Art, Rhymes & Kids program in Sarasota. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Middle school girls learn computer coding in SciGirls Coding Camp at Florida State University. Tallahassee Democrat.
