Education bill: The Florida Association of School Boards has already urged Gov. Rick Scott to veto the Legislature's education bill, H.B. 7069. Now the group says it wants Scott to also veto the proposed Florida Education Fund Program, which sets per-student spending. The board says 90 percent of the the $240 million increase in the program will go for school enrollment growth and increased retirement plan contributions, and what is left is not enough to "adequately serve our students." Gradebook. News Service of Florida. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, praises Rep. Roy Hardemon, D-Miami, for being the only Democrat in the Legislature to vote for the education bill. Miami Herald.
Bright Futures: The boost in money for Bright Futures scholarship winners in the education bill would expand the program significantly, but it also renews concerns about fairness in who qualifies. In 2015, about 51,200 students were eligible. Less than 4 percent were black, and 20 percent were Hispanic. "When you pour most of your money into your top-tier scholarship, you are giving that money to upper-middle-class white kids," says Bob Schaeffer of FairTest, a nonprofit advocacy organization. Tampa Bay Times.
Certification tests defended: Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says the state's teacher certification exams are useful and appropriate, despite failure rates of 30 percent on some portions and the escalating costs to the test-takers. "We have a lot of research that shows the exams are not flawed," said Stewart. "I think it’s a reflection of we’ve raised standards for students and, consequently, we need to raise standards for teachers and make sure that they are experts in the content area that they’re teaching." WFTS.
Daily recess: All public K-5 elementary school students in Marion County will get 20 minutes of recess every day, starting in the fall. Superintendent Heidi Maier made recess an issue in her campaign for the job last fall, and in following through, she wrote: “It is the right thing to do. We have the research which shows recess is needed for kids to retain information.” Ocala Star Banner. (more…)
