High school graduation rate up: Florida's high school graduation rate improved slightly during the 2018-2019 school year, to 86.9 percent from 86.1 percent in the 2017-2018 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education and Gov. Ron DeSantis. The rate has increased steadily since dipping to 58.8 percent in the 2005-2006 school year. Rates were up for white, black and Hispanic students, and for economically disadvantaged students and those with disabilities. The Lafayette County School District had the highest rate at 98.8 percent, and 13 other districts had rates above 90 percent. Pinellas and Orange tied for the highest rate among the 10 largest districts with 88.4 percent, and the Gadsden County district had the state's lowest rate at 60.4 percent. Office of the Governor. Politico Florida. Florida Phoenix. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Sun Sentinel. WLRN. Palm Beach Post. Tampa Bay Times. Patch. WFLA. WUSF. Florida Times-Union. WJXT. St. Augustine Record. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald. Fort Myers News-Press. Florida Today. TCPalm. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Flagler Live. Palm Coast Observer. Gainesville Sun. WCJB. Pensacola News Journal.
Teacher pay hikes: A bill that would boost teacher salaries a specified amount this July and again in 2021 and 2022 has been filed in the Florida House. H.B. 1223, sponsored by Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, would raise teacher salaries to $47,500 or by 5 percent, whichever is greater, on July 5. In 2021 pay would be bumped by 4 percent or to $49,400, whichever is greater, and in 2022 by 4 percent or to $51,376. School support employees would also get raises of 5 percent, 4 percent and 4 percent over the next three years. The bill addresses concerns of teachers and their unions with DeSantis' plan to boost starting teacher pay to $47,500, but does not include increases for veteran teachers. Florida Politics.
Early learning bills: The state's early learning programs would be placed under the direction of the Florida Department of Education under bills (H.B. 1013 and S.B. 1616) that have been filed in the House and Senate. The bills, sponsored by state Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, and state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, would create a Division of Early Learning to replace the Office of Early Learning and the school readiness program for state-subsidized child care. They would also create stricter accountability measures using a new standardized test given three times a year, and give the state Board of Education the authority to enforce compliance. A 2019 report concluded that 42 percent of the children enrolled in the state's VPK program were not ready for kindergarten, prompting Gov. DeSantis to call for reforms. Politico Florida.
School impact fees: The Santa Rosa County Commission has approved a school impact fee on new housing. Developers will pay $5,000 for single-family houses, $4,000 for mobile homes and $2,750 for multi-family units when they apply for building permits. The money generated will be used to build schools to help keep up with the county's population growth. Commissioners had been opposed to the fee, but reconsidered after voters turned down a half-cent sales tax increase in October. WEAR. Pensacola News Journal. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Tax hike gets support: Business leaders in Okaloosa County are backing a 10-year, half-cent increase in the sales tax to raise money for the school district. The group hopes to get the initiative on the Nov. 3 ballot. If it gets before voters and is approved, the tax hike would generate about $20 million a year for school repairs, construction and upgraded school buses. “The business community recognizes and values the importance of a good education to a strong economy,” said attorney Michelle Anchors, a member of the group. “This isn’t the school board coming to us. It’s us going to the public and saying we need you to lock elbows with us to give strong, secure facilities to our children.” Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teachers honored: Three finalists are named for the Lake County School District's teacher of the year award. They are: Christine Palmer, an art teacher at Triangle Elementary; Doreen Elder, a math coach at Groveland Elementary; and Sarah Foster, a 5th-grade language arts teacher at Pine Ridge Elementary. The winner will be announced Jan. 30. Daily Commercial.
Students suing state: Eight Florida students between the ages of 12 and 21 are suing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the Florida Cabinet and two state agencies for violating their constitutional rights by not developing a plan to fight climate change. “Sadly, our state government has long disregarded the stakes with feel-good political appointments. The time has come for real action,’’ said 21-year-old Delaney Reynolds, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that was filed in 2018 but amended to include the new governor and agriculture commissioner. Miami Herald. Politico Florida.
Education podcasts: The legislative session opens Tuesday, but Monday also figures to be a busy day with a teacher rally for educational funding being held on the steps of the Capitol and the Senate Education Committee taking up several significant issues. Two reporters discuss the busy schedule. Gradebook. Central Florida math teacher Jessica Granahan and UCF professor Lisa Dieker talk about teaching math and science. WMFE.
Anti-vaping message: Polk County students, Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd, Sheriff Grady Judd and Health Department Director Dr. Joy Jackson have produced a public service announcement to warn students about the dangers of vaping. Lakeland Ledger.
Florida students lagging: Florida students lagged significantly behind the 2015-2016 school year national average last spring in taking calculus, chemistry and physics classes, according to a report released by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Superintendent search: A series of town halls will be held next week in Marion County so members of the community can express what qualities they want to see in the next school superintendent. County residents voted in 2018 to switch from an elected superintendent to an appointed one, and the school board is just beginning the search. Ocala Star-Banner. One of the eight semifinalists for the Hillsborough County school superintendent's job has withdrawn his name from consideration. The withdrawal of Chris Farkas, a deputy superintendent in the district, leaves chief of schools Harrison Peters as the only internal candidate. Gradebook.
Personnel moves: The president of the Jupiter Christian School in Palm Beach County has resigned after a reported breach of employee policies. According to school officials, Dave Breslin violated the policy when he was alone with a student in a room that was not open for viewing. Jupiter police investigated and determined there was no improper contact with the student. WPTV.
School choice: School choice registration begins today in Collier County, Monday in Lee and in February in Charlotte. And Sarasota County schools will showcase their academic programs next Tuesday and Wednesday. WINK. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Students and the law: Four Polk County students were taken into custody after deputies found an unloaded gun at Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake. Arrested were a student who was seen pointing the gun at another student, two students who had possession of the gun, and a student who had a bullet in his backpack. Lakeland Ledger. WFTS. WTVT.
School bus crash: An Orange County school bus driver was injured when a car drove into the bus' path near Winter Garden. The bus was carrying 21 students, but none was hurt. Charges are pending against the car's driver. Orlando Sentinel. WFTV.
Opinions on schools: Real-world lessons for students can start with high-school internships. Melanie Diel, Orlando Sentinel.
Student enrichment: Free after-school meals are now available at Hawthorne Middle/High School, Alachua County school officials have announced. Gainesville Sun. The STEM program at Treadway Elementary School in Lake County has received an augmented reality sandbox, which uses a 3D camera, motion sensor and projector to help students model and learn about erosion, water flow and land contour lines. Daily Commercial. A Manatee County charter school, Visible Men Academy, is home to an early education program called Rise and Shine that helps students and their families get ready for school. Bradenton Herald.
Lead in schools' water: The Hillsborough County School District knew for 16 months that there were high levels of lead in the water at many schools before it informed parents. Deputy superintendent for operations Chris Farkas and communications chief Grayson Kamm acknowledge the district should have told parents sooner. The district still hasn't released the results of most of the tests, and schools start next week with the scope of the problem still unknown. The district has tested about 20 percent of its schools, and lead has been found in the drinking water in every one. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough parents can search a database to see if their child's school has been tested for lead. Tampa Bay Times.
Turmoil in Broward: A group of parents whose children died in the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School blasts the Broward County School Board for its "lack of decisiveness," and is urging voters to remove all incumbents in the primary elections Aug. 28. Five of the nine board seats are being contested. The group also is critical of Superintendent Robert Runcie's actions, but stopped short of calling for his removal even as others were making that case. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. News Service of Florida. WLRN.
Charter school rulings: The state's Charter School Appeal Commission unanimously agrees that the Leon County School Board had no evidence to support its denial of a charter school's application in April. The commission's recommendation now goes to the Florida Board of Education for a vote, though Leon school officials say they accept the recommendation and will allow the K-8 Tallahassee Classical School's application to move forward. Tallahassee Democrat. redefinED. An administrative law judge backs the Orange County School District's decision to deny capital funding to a low-performing charter school in Ocoee. Kid’s Community College Charter School Orange County Inc. challenged the state rule prohibiting capital funds to go to charters that receive a grade below C for two consecutive years. News Service of Florida. (more…)
Shootings review halted: Broward County school officials are suspending a retired FBI agent's investigation into the actions of school employees during the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. The reason given is to avoid duplication with the investigation by the state-appointed safety commission. “We recognize that the staff is continuing to recover from this tragedy,” the district’s statement said. “To avoid asking them to participate in duplicate interviews and to streamline the process, the district has decided to suspend its internal review, and give priority to the (state commission's) investigation.” Sun-Sentinel. WPLG.
Private school enrollment: Private school preK-12 enrollment is up in Florida for the seventh straight year, according to a report from the Florida Department of Education. The 370,116 students at 2,650 schools was an increase of 0.5 percent, which is the slowest rate of growth since the 2010-2011 school year. Florida Tax Credit Scholarships and McKay Scholarships for special-needs students account for 42.5 percent of private-school enrollment. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the state's tax credit, Gardiner, Hope and reading scholarships. redefinED.
Water contamination: Cancer-causing chemicals have been found in groundwater in three wells tested in Satellite Beach. The low-level contamination is thought to stem from the use of fire-extinguishing foams from nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Wells near Satellite High School, Sea Park Elementary School and city hall were tested after concerns were raised about cancer clusters in alumni and staff from Satellite High. A community meeting will be held Sunday to discuss the results. Florida Today. Several members of the Hillsborough County School Board are unhappy that they weren't notified earlier about the district's testing of water in 50 schools over the past year. Lead was found at 21 of those schools. Deputy superintendent Chris Farkas apologized, saying, "We always want to get better, and one thing I don't think we did very well was notify staff." Gradebook. (more…)
Storm closes schools: All schools in Monroe County are closed today as the Keys are evacuated for Hurricane Irma. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Lee, Collier, Hernando, St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties are closing schools Thursday and Friday, and other districts around the state are monitoring the storm. Miami Herald. Miami Herald. WPEC. WPLG. Keynoter. Key West Citizen. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. TCPalm. Bay News 9. Gradebook. Florida Today. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Flagler Live. Citrus County Chronicle. WUSF. WFLA. WFTV. WLRN. WKRG. WPTV.
Undocumented immigrants: As expected, President Trump is ending the program that protects the children of undocumented immigrants. The program, called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, affects about 800,000 young people. Trump will delay implementing the end of the program for six months, and is challenging Congress to pass a “responsible immigration reform package” that includes protection for the so-called "dreamers" and border control. Associated Press. New York Times. Washington Post. Education Week. Chalkbeat. Florida school officials and students react to the decision. Palm Beach Post. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Naples Daily News. Fort Myers News-Press. Florida Education Association. Pensacola News Journal. Lakeland Ledger. Tallahassee Democrat.
Schools of hope: Fifty-seven of the 93 failing Florida schools are eligible for an additional $2,000 per student under the "schools of hope" provision of the new education law, H.B. 7069. Legislators decided a maximum of 25 of those schools will get the money, for a total outlay of $51.5 million of the $140 millions allotted in the law. The rest will go into a program to attract charter school companies into areas with persistently low-performing schools. Miami Herald.
Sales tax promoted: Hillsborough County school officials now say they may have no choice but to ask voters to approve a sales tax increase to pay for urgent infrastructure repairs. Years of deferred maintenance due to a financial crunch have resulted in broken air conditioners, leaking roofs and other problems at dozens of schools. "It's hard to build confidence when you send your kid to school and there's no AC in the school. It's hard to build confidence in your employees when they don't have AC in the classroom." says Chris Farkas, the district's chief operating officer. Tampa Bay Times.
