Leadership. Despite hearing citizen concerns, the Alachua school board appoints a longtime district hand as a temporary stand-in for ousted chief Owen Roberts. Gainesville Sun.
Administration. Five Broward schools get new principals. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Administrative appointments are imminent in Hillsborough schools. Gradebook.
LGBT students. Lake County's legal battle over a stifled attempt to create a student gay-straight alliance heads to federal appeals court. Daily Commercial. A measure affecting transgender student rights is taken off the Hillsborough school board agenda amid fears of a contentious debate. Gradebook.
Accountability. Florida might "punish" rural Liberty County for pushing large numbers of middle school students into algebra, which may benefit those students in the long term. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Summer. A Pinellas summer bridge program continues to see rising participation. Gradebook.
Video-famous. A Jefferson County school administrator's video singing the national anthem in the Lincoln Memorial goes viral. WFSU. Tallahassee Democrat.
Elections. State Sen. John Legg, a Pasco County Republican and key figure on education issues, is bowing out of the Legislature for the time being, but is preparing to run for his old seat in 2022. The Buzz.
School choice battle. The Palm Beach Post sees one unfolding in the coming legislative session.
Charter school closing. Global Outreach Academy, citing financial problems, tells Flagler school district officials on New Year's Day that it's shutting down immediately, reports FlaglerLive.com. Another charter school closes mid-year in Lee County, reports the Fort Myers News Press.
2012: Year of pushback. Gradebook.
2013: Year of ... Common Core and parent trigger make the Fort Myers News Press list. Testing and Tony Bennett make the Gainesville Sun’s.
Algebra Nation. A new project from UF’s Lastinger Center for Learning offers an online resource to help students, teachers and parents with the Algebra I end of course exam. Gainesville Sun.
More school security. After Newtown, several mayors want metal detectors and guards at all Palm Beach County public schools. Palm Beach Post.
Financial boot camp. High school students learn to manage money through a partnership program with the business community. Miami Herald.
Testing for “voucher” kids. The Orlando Sentinel editorial board concludes tax credit scholarship students should take the same standardized tests as their public school peers: “Comparing apples to apples, scholastically speaking, will enhance transparency and accountability.”
From Florida with love: A Florida education advocate named Lowell Levine gets extended mention in the latest Rick Hess column, a follow-up to a piece about the unfortunate politicization of Newtown. Levine tells Hess, in part: You just do not want to hear the truth ---it is writers like you who are in denial and contribute to violence in schools. You are a shame to your profession. Good by and have a great life------A$$@#%&!!!!!... I’m not sure if it’s the same guy, but a Lowell Levine in South Florida applied to be Florida ed commish and, according to the Palm Beach Post, founded an anti-bullying foundation.
Education funding. From a Miami Herald year-end-wrap-up editorial: “Investments in education pay off. That’s a lesson Gov. Rick Scott seems to be learning as he pushed to restore some of the K-12 funding that he previously cut.”
“Lower ed.” Former Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson makes the year-in-review from Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano.
Class size. Do districts need more flexibility? asks Gradebook. SchoolZone looks at compliance in Central Florida districts.
The year’s biggest education stories. According to StateImpact Florida. Amendment 8 is in there.
End of course exams. DOE will study the possibility of concordant scores for the Algebra I test, reports SchoolZone.
More Newtown repercussions. Armed deputies may be patrolling Alachua County elementary schools when students return Jan. 3, reports the Gainesville Sun.
