K-12 budget: The Senate and House make no progress on resolving their differences on education spending. Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, presented a final version of the bill to the House, but the cochair of the education budget conference committee, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, apparently wanted to continue negotiating. So Gaetz ended the talks, and work on resolving the issues will continue in appropriations committees. "Most of the issues, although the entire budget's getting bumped, are closer than what it would seem," Fresen says. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Naples Daily News. Here's a status update on the major education bills in the Legislature. Politico Florida. The Senate's next president, Joe Negron, R-Palm City, expresses satisfaction at increasing school spending without relying on property taxes. Politico Florida.
No test glitches: No glitches are reported on Monday, the first day of statewide Florida Standards Assessments testing. Testing continues through May. Sun-Sentinel. Gulf Breeze students talk about the pressures of testing. Pensacola News Journal.
Opting out: Opt-out movement leaders predict more students will skip the Florida Standards Assessments tests that began Monday. In 2014, about 5,500 didn't take the exams. In 2015 that number was more than 20,000 - but that's just a tiny fraction of the 3 million-plus exams taken. Orlando Sentinel.
Pre-K questions: The man who helped create the state's free, voluntary prekindergarten system now questions how the state is calculating readiness. David Lawrence Jr., chairman of the board of the Children’s Movement of Florida, says any assessments have to include early literacy skills. Pensacola News Journal.
Tornado days: As weather forecasting skills continue to improve, school "tornado days" are joining "snow days" in the education vocabulary. Forbes. (more…)
