Teacher bonuses challenged: The state's program for teacher bonuses is being challenged by Tallahassee lawyer Ronald G. Meyer, who says the award is being unfairly withheld from many deserving teachers, including three in Sarasota. The complaint will be heard by an administrative judge from the state Division of Administrative Hearings. Naples Daily News.

Single-gender schools: Do children — especially those struggling in school — perform better academically when separated by gender? Single-gender schools are controversial, but the number of them is growing quickly. Utah is studying the success of Franklin Boys Preparatory Academy in Tampa. Deseret News.

School's use of restraints: Carlton Arms Education Center, a private school outside Mount Dora that specializes in teenagers and adults with serious intellectual and developmental disabilities, put its clients in mechanical restraints 28,000 times in less than five years. The school is owned by AdvoServ, which cares for 700 disabled children and adults at 77 facilities in three states. ProPublica.

Church vs. state: Pasco County school officials say some teachers are misinterpreting district policies and federal guidelines and wrongly limiting students' religious rights. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools:  An analysis by the Associated Press shows that charter schools in 30 districts have closed after receiving as much as $70 million in state taxes since 2000. Associated Press, via Tampa Tribune. A state program that helps charter schools pay for classroom space and equipment has given more than $9 million since 2001 to Palm Beach County charters that later shut down, state records show. Palm Beach Post. In Alachua County, the state lost $1.2 million when seven charters closed. Gainesville Sun. In Miami-Dade, about $7.5 million in state money went to charters that closed. Miami Herald. Marco Island Middle Charter School's partnering with the Collier County district to build a school is an example of how the charter-district relationship should be structured. Naples Daily News. Two Pinellas County charter schools are being closely watched by school officials after parent complaints, academic problems and concerns about the schools' financial practices. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)