Teacher bonuses lawsuit: Forty-three Florida school districts have been dropped from the legal challenge to the state's teacher bonuses program known as the Best & Brightest scholarships. Those districts successfully argued that the bonuses program wasn't their idea and that they shouldn't be held responsible for simply following the law. The state's largest school districts and the Florida Department of Education remain defendants. The suit was brought by the Florida Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, which contends the program discriminates against veteran and minority teachers because college entry exam results are used to qualify. The U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida is handling the case. Gradebook.
After the storm: Bay County teachers get trauma training to help students who were devastated by Hurricane Michael, as schools prepare to reopen next week. “Our teachers, you guys are going to be on the front line of helping students,” says Jinks Middle School principal Britt Smith, who arranged training to prepare teachers to reassure students and help them talk about the effect of the hurricane on their lives. “How we act is going to affect how they react as well,” says Lori Allen, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center. Panama City News Herald. The Bay County School District has found emergency housing for 10 families of district employees left homeless by the storm, but is still looking on behalf of 86 more. “We’re just making these connections, one by one,” says Sharon Michalik, district director of communications. “We’re going to do this one home at a time. That’s how we’re going to solve this.” Panama City News Herald.
Governor's race: At an event at St. Peter Claver Catholic School in Tampa yesterday, Casey DeSantis, wife of Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, characterized Democrat Andrew Gillum's opposition to school choice "shameful & wrong." Gillum has sent mixed messages about his position on school choice on the campaign trail, calling in September to bring choice scholarships "to a conclusion" and most recently at the final gubernatorial debate saying he proposes no change to the current status quo. Florida Politics.
H.B. 7069: The controversial K-12 education bill H.B. 7069 has been sent to Gov. Rick Scott for consideration. He must make a decision on the bill by June 27, though there are reports that he intends to sign the bill Thursday in Orlando. The bill creates a fund to recruit high-performing charter schools into areas with persistently struggling schools, requires 20 minutes of recess a day for traditional public elementary school students and sets aside more than $200 million to provide bonuses for teachers and principals, among other things. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Gov. Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, were in Miami to make the first of five stops in a "victory tour" of Florida to celebrate the budget agreement. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Sun Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Hundreds of teachers protest the education bill at Gov. Scott's rally in Jacksonville Beach. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. Supporters and opponents of the education bill continue to pepper Gov. Scott with emails and calls. News Service of Florida. WKMG. WBBH. Florida Politics.
District finances: The Duval County School Board tentatively agrees to tap the district's reserves to help make up the difference between the money it expected from the state and what it actually will get. The district was expecting an extra $16 million after the budget deal in the special session. But the state told the district that about half of that needs to be set aside for mandates and charter schools. Florida Times-Union. Polk County school officials say the district will struggle to maintain reserves and give raises to teachers and staff under the level of funding the state has approved for education. The district expects to receive $6,983 per student from the state, which is $110 less than it received 10 years ago. Lakeland Ledger. The Manatee County School Board asks its attorney to write a resolution for a special election in March to raise property taxes for schools by 1 mill. The increase would raise about $30 million a year for the district. Bradenton Herald. The Cape Coral Charter School Governing Board tentatively approves a budget for its four schools that gives employees a 2 percent raise but cuts the number of teachers and administrators by 14. Lehigh Acres Citizen.
Audit raps district: The Broward County School District greatly overpaid asphalt contractors for athletic tracks and playgrounds and didn't get required permits, according to an internal audit. Forty-seven times between 2010 and 2017, the district paid $150 to $300 an hour for workers. In 2016, auditors say, the Palm Beach County School had similar work done and paid $15 to $45 an hour. The Broward district has a history of financial mismanagement in its facilities department, and is about to begin infrastructure updates covered by an $800 million bond approved by voters in 2014. Sun Sentinel. (more…)
