Teacher of the year: Jessica Solano, a third grade math teacher at Lakeland’s Highlands Grove Elementary School in Polk County for eight years, is named Florida's teacher of the year. Solano, 29, wins $20,000 and a free trip for four to New York City for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She also will serve as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, traveling around the state for the next year to talk about education. The other finalists were: Amy Miller, a math teacher and and science coach at Kissimmee Elementary School in Orange County; Precious T. Symonette, a creative writing teacher at Miami Norland Senior High; Laurie Zentz, the band director at Switzerland Point Middle School in St. Johns County; and Donald Blake, a technical education specialist at Marchman Technical College in Pasco County. Each receives $15,000. Lakeland Ledger. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel.

School infrastructure: Florida's schools were given a D grade for infrastructure in an inspection by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Eleven categories were judged. Bridges (B), airports (B-) and ports (B-) earned the highest grades, while schools, stormwater and coastal areas each were given a D. Overall, the state grade was a C. Tallahassee Democrat.

School choice: The standoff between the Florida NAACP and a group of black pastors over school choice draws the attention of Radio One, the largest African American-owned broadcasting company in the United States. NewsOne.

School voting age: Longtime Florida children's advocate Jack Levine is pushing for a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age for superintendent and school board races from 18 to 16. Politico Florida. (more…)

Charter company indicted: Newpoint Education Partners and three other companies are indicted for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime by an Escambia County grand jury. Newpoint managed charter schools for 21st Century Academy of Pensacola. The indictment alleges that Newpoint and its vendors fraudulently billed the academy hundreds of thousands of dollars for supplies, equipment and services and laundered the proceeds through multiple bank accounts. In 2015, the school board revoked the charters of two Newpoint-run schools in Escambia for tampering with grades and misusing public funds. Newpoint also has had financial problems with four of the five schools it manages in Pinellas County. Pensacola News Journal. Tampa Bay Times.

Top teacher finalist: Donald Blake, a technical education specialist at Marchman Technical College in Pasco County, is one of five finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced in July. Tampa Bay Times.

School lunch laws: A proposed change in the federal school lunch program could cut off free meals for thousands of Florida students. The law now says any school with 40 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-prices lunches can also offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students. The change, which is now before the U.S. House, would raise that threshold to 60 percent. Florida Politics. WJCT.

Impact of new laws: A summary of the impact of the state's new education bills on school districts has been issued by the Florida School Boards Association. Florida School Boards Association.

Crime in schools: Violent crimes and bullying are down in the nation's schools, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Justice Department. "Bullying is down, crime is down, but it's not enough," says Peggy G. Carr, acting NCES commissioner. About 3 percent of students 12 to 18 years old said they were victims of crimes at school in 2014, and about 1.3 million students were suspended for at least one school day for violence, weapons possession or alcohol violations. Associated Press. Education Week. (more…)

K-12 budgets: The Florida House budget bill would provide twice as much construction funding for charter schools as it would for traditional public schools. The Florida Senate's bill provides no construction money for charter schools. It's still early in the process, though, lawmakers from both chambers say. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Politico Florida. Senate leaders are looking at ways to roll the property tax hike that Gov. Rick Scott is calling for in his education budget into the $1 billion tax cuts Scott also proposes. Tampa Bay Times. WFSU. What are some of the differences between the budgets? Gradebook. School district administrators are concerned about a possible shift in construction money to charter schools. Gradebook.

Teacher bonuses: Teacher bonuses based partly on ACT or SAT scores remain in the Florida House bill with funding of $45 million, which closely aligns with Gov. Rick Scott's proposal. But the Florida Senate bill has recommended no money for the program. Orlando Sentinel.

High school free agency: If the Legislature passes a bill allowing students and athletes to choose any school, Florida would have the most lenient standards for athletics transfers. Advocates of the bill say it's merely an expansion of the school choice, while critics say it would create a recruiting free-for-all among high schools. Associated Press.

Class sizes: Two South Florida school districts are on track to avoid fines for class-size violations, according to officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Sun-Sentinel.

District reorganization: Brevard School Superintendent Desmond Blackburn is proposing a reorganization of administration titles, job responsibilities and the chain of command. The school board will have to approve. Florida Today. (more…)