Education bill moving: The sweeping education bill that would, among other things, eliminate the waiting list for Florida Tax Credit Scholarships, is approved by the Senate Education Committee on a 5-3 party-line vote. S.B. 7070 would create the Family Empowerment Scholarship program with money from the Florida Education Finance Program, though at least one prominent Republican says taking the money from general revenue funds could pose a problem. The bill also would restructure the Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Scholarship program for educator bonuses, the teacher certification process, and provide money for social services at public schools. About 13,000 students are on the FTC waiting list. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the tax credit scholarship program. redefinED. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. Florida Politics. WFSU. WFTS. WPTV.

Best & Brightest bonuses: More than 11,000 Florida teachers will receive bonuses of $7,200 through the state's Best and Brightest program, according to the Florida Department of Education. Those 11,286 teachers were rated as "highly effective" in their evaluations and posted ACT or SAT scores in the top 20 percent when they applied for college. About 81,000 other "highly effective" teachers will get $1,200 bonuses, 67,600 "effective" teachers will get $700 and 557 principals will get bonuses worth $4,000 or $5,000. Florida is spending $233 million on the bonuses, which will be paid by April 1. The Legislature is considering several proposals, including S.B. 7070, that would rework the bonuses program and eliminate the test score requirement. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Stewart resigns: Pam Stewart, Florida's education commissioner, submits her resignation effective Jan. 8 as rumors swirl around Tallahassee that former House Speaker Richard Corcoran is Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis' choice to replace her. Stewart has been education commissioner since 2013. She announced last year that she would retire when Gov. Rick Scott left office. But two months ago, the Florida Board of Education asked her to stay another year and she agreed. Tuesday, in her resignation letter, Stewart wrote: "There has never been a better time to be a student in Florida, which makes it a good time to hand over the reins so that someone can take our students to the next level of opportunity and success." News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Florida Phoenix.

Superintendent selection: Manatee County School Board members are interested in erasing the word interim from the title of Superintendent Cynthia Saunders. They say they've been impressed with how Saunders has handled several crises since stepping in for the departed Diana Greene, and will draft a contract extension for her that they hope to vote on Dec. 11. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)