Carvalho staying: Miami-Dade School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho accepted an offer to be New York City’s chancellor of schools on Thursday. Then, after meeting with the school board and hearing from students and members of the community who pleaded with him to stay, Carvalho changed his mind. “I just don’t know how to break a promise to a child, how to break a promise to a community,” Carvalho said in explaining his decision. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had already announced the appointment, said his first response was just “profound surprise.” His press secretary, Eric Phillips, tweeted: “He was a Yes for a week+, until he was a No 15 minutes ago. Bullet dodged. Who would ever hire this guy again? Who would ever vote for him?” Miami Herald. Politico Florida. New York Times. Associated Press. According to a timeline of events, Carvalho appeared to mislead people in both Miami and New York City. Politico Florida. Chalkbeat.
Armed teachers: Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor warns legislators that their proposed school marshal program would turn black students into nothing more than “target practice” for “trigger happy teachers.” Leon School Superintendent Rocky Hanna called Proctor’s rhetoric an embarrassment to the community. Later on Thursday, Proctor was joined by the Legislature’s 28-member black caucus, which said arming teachers would only expose African-American students to more gun-related danger. “This is a recipe for disaster,” says Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. Tallahassee Democrat. Miami Herald. Tallahassee Democrat. Gov. Rick Scott opposes arming teachers, but he and the family of one of the victims urge the Legislature not to let differences bog down the effort to act. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. GateHouse. News Service of Florida. The National Association for School Resource Officers does not support arming teachers. But if it happens, the organization is offering tips on what to do and not do. Gradebook. School board chairpersons around Florida get an email blast from the Pinellas County School Board, asking them to join Pinellas in supporting a ban on assault weapons. Gradebook. The Brevard County teachers union and most teachers in Lee County come out against the proposal to arm select school employees. Florida Today. Fort Myers News-Press. The subject of arming teachers draws strong comments at a community meeting in Martin County. TCPalm.
Schools of Hope: The Senate-House conference committee negotiating the final form of the education bill agree to spend $140 million to continue the Schools of Hope program. The program offers money for extra services at struggling public schools, and for recruiting highly regarded charter companies to open schools in areas with persistently low-performing schools. redefinED. The Senate and House are close to an agreement on funding for higher education, but are still trying to reconcile how to pay for mental health services, more armed school resource officers and teacher supply grants for K-12 schools. Politico Florida.
School shooting: Broward Sheriff’s Office logs show that a captain on the scene of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 ordered deputies to form a perimeter around the school rather than enter it to confront the shooter. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel has said that deputies’ training and nationwide active-shooter procedure call for armed officers to confront shooters immediately rather than first securing a scene. Miami Herald. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos awards a $1 million grant to the Broward County School District to help aid “in the healing and recovery process.” Associated Press.
School safety plans: In his response to the shootings at Stoneman Douglas High, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is proposing stronger background checks for gun purchasers, adding prosecutors and providing money for more training to identify school threats and report them quicker to law enforcement. He says the more controversial ideas being considered, such as restricting the size of ammunition magazines and raising the purchase age for assault rifles, will require more consideration. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. The Escambia County Commission votes to help fund increased school security with money seized by law enforcement agencies. Pensacola News Journal. The Santa Rosa County School District orders all interior school doors to be locked from the inside. Most exterior doors will also be locked. Pensacola News Journal. Bay County Superintendent Bill Husfelt is urging the school board to hire more school guards, provide more money for mental health services, secure front office entrances, install new fencing and add security cameras at schools. Panama City News Herald.
Personalized learning: The Florida House approves a bill that would allow any district in the state to start a personalized learning pilot program, and flexibility to decide how to award course credits to middle- and high-schoolers. The bill encourages a shift toward mastery-based learning, and also promotes a education savings account program that parents of struggling readers can use for books, tutoring or summer programs. redefinED.
Paying to opt out: Pembroke Pines charter schools that allowed parents to pay to get out of required volunteering for the past 10 years were breaking the law, according to Broward County school officials who noticed the violation during a routine review. District spokeswoman Nadine Drew says the violation isn’t serious enough to terminate the city’s charter school agreement with the state. Sun-Sentinel.
Charter school enrollment: The percentage of students with disabilities attending charter schools is growing, according to an analysis of U.S. data by the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. The report also notes that in states like Florida, in which charters are part of local districts, the enrollment of those students is slightly smaller. The report suggests that in those states, students with disabilities might be steered to a local district’s existing programs rather than to charters operating in that district. Education Week.
Scholarships and outcomes: Two recent studies, one on Milwaukee and the other on Washington, D.C., indicate that tax credit scholarships are cost-effective in encouraging low-income students to pursue a college education. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. redefinED.
Immigrants and outcomes: A study suggests that the influx of Haitian students into Florida schools had no short-term negative consequences on the educational outcomes of native students. Brookings Institution.
Personnel moves: Vickie Cartwright, associate superintendent for exceptional student education in the Orange County School District, is named superintendent of the Oshkosh (Wisc.) Area School District. Oshkosh Northwestern.
Superintendent search: Just 11 people attend a Duval County School Board community meeting to discuss what people want to see in a new school superintendent. Most say they want a leader who knows the region, and they value the ability to build good relationships. Florida Times-Union.
School calendars: Four Pasco County schools are asking for permission to adopt a 2018-2019 school calendar different from the one already approved for the district. Gradebook.
Starting times: What would a later high school start time mean for Pinellas County students? Ask Kashif Haynes, who gets up Monday through Friday at 4:10 a.m. to get ready for a 2-hour bus ride to the Veterinary Science Academy at Tarpon Springs High School at the other end of the county. Tampa Bay Times.
District’s YouTube channel: The Polk County School District now has its own YouTube channel to broadcast meetings and other events. Lakeland Ledger.
New school’s name: Twenty-seven names have been nominated for a new middle school scheduled to open in August 2019 in Manatee County. Among them: Trump Middle School. The school board will narrow the list on March 13. Bradenton Herald.
School threats: Districts are continuing to deal with threats to schools since the Parkland shooting Feb, 14. Here are some of them. Naples Daily News. WFTS. Orlando Sentinel. Ocala Star-Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
School officer suspended: A Monroe County school resource officer is suspended for his handling of several cases involving guns. Police officials say Horace O’Bryant School resource officer David Hall did not file citations or reports on any of the incidents, and lied about what he had done. Key West Citizen.
Students arrested: Three students are arrested and accused of assaulting a school security guard who was trying to break up a fight between two boys at Lake Shore Middle School in Jacksonville. Police say all three of the students are girls 12 or 13 years old. Florida Times-Union.
Opinions on schools: Miami-Dade School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho staying is a good thing. Miami needs his uncommon political courage. Fabiola Santiago, Miami Herald. We’re pretty sure that it wasn’t necessary to hold an hours-long meeting to, basically, have Carvalho reject a job offer in New York City and back out of a job that he had accepted, but it’s great news for Miami-Dade County’s public schools, nonetheless. Miami Herald. A multifaceted approach is needed to protect students. Kent J. Ingle, Lakeland Ledger. Other than hardliners, who thinks introducing more guns into schools is a good idea? Joe Henderson, Tampa Bay Times. Here’s some advice for students who are lobbying for gun reforms. Dave Denslow, Gainesville Sun. The Volusia County School District’s approach to improving school security strikes an appropriate balance between action and overreaction, what’s feasible and what is not. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Student enrichment: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami will enroll four African American students and an Asian next school year in a move to diversify the predominantly Hispanic student population. Miami Herald. The Jacksonville Public Education Fund launches a year-long campaign to thank schoolteachers. Florida Times-Union. Southport Elementary School music students donate 1,687 jars of peanut butter to feed the homeless in Bay County. Panama City News Herald.
