Tax bill and school choice: The Republican tax bill contains a mixture of good and bad news for school choice advocates. On the plus side, the bill would allow families to tap up to $10,000 from 529 college savings plans for K-12 expenses, including private school tuition. But the bill does not include a tax credit for donations for private school scholarships. The bill would also cut the deduction for local income and sales taxes, which some advocates believe could have a negative impact on local taxes collected for schools, and the $250 deduction teachers use to cover classroom supplies. Education Week.
Hope Scholarship: A bill that creates a scholarship for bullied students that can be used to change schools will get a hearing before a Florida House subcommittee next week. The Hope Scholarship program would allow victims of bullying or harassment in public schools to transfer to another public school or qualify for a state tax credit scholarship, and also be eligible for transportation scholarships. Students would be eligible for the scholarship within 15 days of reporting “battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, harassment, assault, or battery; threat or intimidation; or fighting at school.” The bill was filed this week by State Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples. redefinED. News Service of Florida.
Technical school boom: These are boom times for career academies and technical education, with more high schools opening that emphasize career choices over a college education. For the past 10 years, state lawmakers have pushed career academies that offer industry certifications, and continue to consider alternative paths to a diploma. "The workforce is not demanding four-year-college-degreed people," says Jim Stone, director of the National Research Center for Career & Technical Education. "The workforce is demanding people who can do something." Tampa Bay Times.
