Tax credit scholarships. Tampa Bay Times columnist Robyn Blumner doesn’t like U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s proposal for federal scholarships. Charter schools. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano bemoans the number of charter schools that close because of low enrollment (but curiously doesn’t mention traditional public schools that don’t get closed despite the[Read More…]
Tag: class-size amendment
More signs of Florida’s academic progress
For the second time this week, a credible, independent analysis shows Florida students leading the pack in progress. Between 1992 and 2011, Florida students made bigger gains than students in four other “mega states” in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and fourth-grade math, according to a report released Thursday by an[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Tony Bennett, education funding, “NRA curriculum” & more
Tony Bennett on testing voucher students. From Gradebook: “I do believe we have a responsibility, be it at a public school or whatever, when we are spending taxpayer dollars – and I go back to what I believe we should do, set expectations, set standards and hold people accountable –[Read More…]
Report: Public school staff growing twice as fast as student population
Between 1992 and 2009, the number of public school students nationwide grew by 17 percent while full-time school staff increased by 39 percent, according to a report released today by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. But the extra employees didn’t seem to do much good, the report continued, because student achievement[Read More…]
Test-bashing in Florida could hurt poor and minority students the most
If Florida deserves applause for its recent academic progress, the Miami-Dade school district deserves a standing ovation. The five-time finalist for the prestigious Broad Prize is a standout district in a standout state. Between 2000 and 2010, no big district in Florida made more progress in reading and math, even[Read More…]