ESSA plan approved: Florida's plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act finally has won the approval of the U.S. Education Department. The state submitted five revisions of the accountability plan, including one this week, before Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gave her approval in a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. Florida had resisted some ESSA requirements, such as assessments of English language learners and math testing for advanced students in middle schools. Florida's was the last of the 50 states to have its plan approved. Gradebook. Education Week.

Medical marijuana: School boards in Orange, Volusia and Clay counties are moving forward with policies that will permit students with prescriptions to receive medical marijuana treatments at schools from parents or caregivers, but not school personnel. The Orange County School Board approved the policy this week, and the Clay and Volusia boards will take final vote in October and November, respectively. Broward and Santa Rosa counties have adopted similar policies. Orlando Sentinel. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Clay Today. Orlando Weekly. (more…)

Fixing fire alarms: Broward County school officials are asking the state for an exemption to fire alarm tests at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the rest of the school year as a way avoid false alarms that students say are causing trauma to students. At least 10 alarms have gone off at Stoneman Douglas since school started, and only three were planned. “In the case of Stoneman Douglas, you’re causing trauma every time you have an alarm, and we don’t want to do that,” says Superintendent Robert Runcie. The district also wants to upgrade the alarm systems, with some incorporating a delay mechanism that would allow school officials to decide if a fire alarm is valid before triggering a schoolwide alarm. Sun-Sentinel.

No-zero grading policy: A St. Lucie County teacher says she was fired for handing out zeroes to students who didn't turn in their assignments. Diane Tirado, an 8th-grade history teacher at West Gate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, says she refused to follow the school handbook that states "No zeroes - lowest possible grade is 50%" and was let go. Tirado was still in her probationary period, and no cause for her dismissal was listed in the letter from the principal. Tirado left a message on the classroom whiteboard when she left that read: "Bye Kids, Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life! I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50% for not handing anything in. ???? Mrs. Tirado." District officials say there is no policy prohibiting teachers from giving a grade of zero. Associated Press. WPTV. (more…)