Superintendent of year: Malcolm Thomas, leader of the Escambia County School District, is selected as Florida's superintendent of the year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. "He's a visionary, and above all there's never any question in anybody's mind where is heart is, and that is in the classroom," says State Sen. Bill Montford, executive director of the association. Thomas was first elected superintendent in 2008, then re-elected twice. He's retiring when his term expires in 2020, and the Escambia superintendent position will then become an appointed one. Pensacola News Journal. Gradebook.

H.B. 7069 lawsuit: In a court filing, the state disputes the contention of 11 district school boards that a 2017 education bill is unconstitutional. The boards allege that H.B. 7069 illegally takes authority from local boards to approve charter schools, and exempts some charter schools, called "schools of hope," from regulations public schools must follow. The law was upheld by a circuit judge last spring, which prompted appeals from boards in Alachua, Bay, Broward, Hamilton, Lee, Orange, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie and Volusia counties, and a separate appeal from the Collier County board. News Service of Florida. (more…)

Scholarships upheld: An appeals court affirms a lower court ruling that the state's teachers union and other groups do not have legal standing to challenge the program that uses corporate tax credits to issue scholarships to low-income students. The groups claimed the program diverts fund from public schools, but the court ruled there was no evidence of harm. A further appeal is being considered. Step Up For Students, which administers the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, hosts this blog. Associated Press. redefinED. Politico. Orlando Sentinel. Pensacola News Journal. Tampa Bay Times. News Service of Florida. WFSU. WUSF. Palm Beach Post. Sunshine State News.

Retention lawsuit: A Leon County judge has decided to hold another hearing Monday in the lawsuit against the state's policy to retain third-graders who do poorly on the Florida Standards Assessments reading test or opt out. A group of parents is suing the state and six school districts, arguing that more factors should be considered if a student doesn't do well on the test, and that students who are doing well should not need a test score at all. Gradebook.

Sales tax hike: The Osceola County School Board will ask voters on Nov. 8 to approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax to renovate and maintain schools, reduce the number of portable classrooms and upgrade security and technology. The tax would begin in January and is expected to produce about $25 million a year over the next 20 years. Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher bonuses: All Bay County School District employees on the instructional salary schedule are now eligible for bonuses under the state's Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship program. Before the school board approved the change, employees such as guidance counselors, math coaches and media specialists were not eligible. Panama City News Herald. (more…)

Recognition money: School recognition money will be delivered to school districts by the state today, according to Department of Education officials. Schools will get $97.04 per full-time equivalent student. Most of the schools distribute the money as a bonus to teachers and other school employees. Here's the list of how much each school is getting. Gradebook.

School safety: Lake County school officials say recent fights at Leesburg High School are isolated events, and that the school performs well and has disciplined students. Students and community leaders don't agree, and a community meeting is set Thursday to discuss the issue. Daily Commercial. Thousands of Okaloosa County school students stayed home Monday after last week's email threat to “kidnap or murder a child” at a Niceville area school. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Suicidal students: A Duval County survey indicates 27 percent of middle school students and 19.7 percent of high school students have seriously considered suicide. The 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was issued to students at every Duval County middle and high school. “It’s horrifying for me to see that data,” says Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “If you’re talking about suicide, thinking about suicide at that age, think about the depth of sadness and depression that those children are dealing with.” Florida Times-Union.

Testing concerns: A group of parents and teachers are angry at the Polk County School District's response to their concerns about standardized testing. “They're refusing to acknowledge that there are any problems," says Wendy Bradshaw, one of the founders of Citizens for Better Educational Leadership. "It speaks to a lack of professional respect for teachers who are bringing up their problems.” Lakeland Ledger.

Board seat: Gov. Rick Scott is accepting applications to replace Mike Murgio on the Palm Beach County School Board. Murgio resigned last week after being indicted on federal bribery charges. Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Athlete transfers: State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Jerri Kelly, the athletic director at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, talk about the new transfer rules for high school student-athletes. WUSF.

Spring break 'homework': Parents of students in Broward and Palm Beach counties complain that teachers assigned practice tests over spring break. Teachers say the tests are necessary to prepare students for Florida Standards Assessments testing. Sun-Sentinel.

Awaiting a signature: Several significant bills from the Legislature are still awaiting a signature from Gov. Rick Scott. Among them is HB 7029, the massive education bill that, among other things, allows open enrollment and allots capital funding for charter schools. Sunshine State News.

Computer coding: The Duval County School District has plans to widen student exposure to computer coding. The school board will vote next month on changing Andrew Jackson High into a technology magnet, which would offer computer coding and gaming among other career options. And Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wants computer coding incorporated into the elementary school curriculum. Florida Times-Union.

Progress reports: The Pasco County School District is researching the value of issuing standards-based report cards. Students could be judged by performance codes, such as Exemplary, Proficient, Approaching and Needs Development, instead of the traditional A-through-F grades. Gradebook. (more…)

Guns, other bills: State Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, files a bill that would permit licensed concealed-carry holders to bring their firearms to elementary and secondary schools. It's the third bill he's filed that would expand rights to concealed carry permit holders. Bradenton Herald. WUSF. Dozens of education bills are filed as the Legislature opens. Politico Florida. Florida's legislative leaders promise record spending for K-12 education and an expansion of education options for people with disabilities. Politico Florida.

Proficiency questions: Bob Schaeffer, the Sanibel Island-based public education director of FairTest, doubts that the Florida Department of Education has any evidence to support its contention that scoring at Level 5 in the state assessment tests means a student is "highly likely to excel in the next grade level." Gradebook.

Teacher retention: The Lee County School Board is considering a variety of incentives, such as tuition reimbursement and helping teachers pay for their credentials, to stem teacher turnover, especially among minorities. Superintendent Greg Adkins says the district loses about 10 percent of its teachers every year. Fort Myers News-Press.

School nurse shortage: Duval County has fewer than one-third of the school nurses a federal agency says it needs, and the school board has approved a plan for fixing the problem. But any solution will cost millions and will have to wait until the district begins budget talks. Florida Times-Union.

Online curriculum: Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wants to switch middle schools to online materials, as the district has done with elementary schools. But several school board members are skeptical of the move, citing problems with the elementary curriculum. Florida Times-Union. (more…)