Florida business leaders put a spotlight Wednesday on the promise and potential pitfalls of Common Core – the tough, new academic standards that are rolling into Florida schools and will help re-shape teaching, learning and testing. At a wide-ranging, day-long education summit in Orlando, several participants suggested a public awareness campaign[Read More…]
Tag: Florida and Catholic schools
School choice “should be embraced by all,” says Hillsborough superintendent
Editor’s note: Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia was also part of the National School Choice Week event in Tampa yesterday that featured Florida Superintendent Tony Bennett, and her remarks at the all-boys magnet school may have been even more noteworthy. Hillsborough is the eighth biggest school district in the nation. Here is the heart[Read More…]
Most “voucher” schools not afraid of testing, report suggests
The Fordham Institute may be the closest thing to an honest academic broker in the contentious private school choice arena these days, and its latest report will no doubt enhance that reputation. “Red Tape or Red Herring?”, released today, provides strong evidence that private schools are not averse to academic[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Teacher evals, Common Core politics, Satanic prayers & more
Common Core. To conservatives: “I suggest you give up the bashing of a critically important reform simply because your political enemy endorsed it.” EdFly Blog. Charter schools. The highly successful Pembroke Pines charter school system says it deserves a share of the Broward school district’s capital improvement dollars, reports the Miami[Read More…]
Florida lawmaker works in public schools, but supports expanded school choice
Count newly-elected Florida Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr. among a number of state lawmakers who are public school district employees. But Diaz, an assistant principal in the Miami-Dade public school district, isn’t just a cheerleader for traditional public schools. He’s also a huge – and very vocal – advocate for school[Read More…]
To better protect children, private schools in Florida should get safety alerts, too
by James Herzog Sadly, if we hear even once about a tragedy like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings last week in Newtown, Conn., it is once too much. We all want answers to ensure parents can take their children to school each day and remain confident that learning will occur in[Read More…]
Florida Catholic schools embrace Common Core, hope to take FCAT
Florida Catholic schools are embracing Common Core academic standards and seriously considering whether to take the coming state tests aligned to them. In the meantime, their leaders say, 30 to 40 Catholic schools want to administer the FCAT in 2014, in what would be a trial run for potential transition to Common Core[Read More…]
redefinED roundup: Tony Bennett in Florida, voucher parents in Louisiana, charters in Washington & more
Florida: Tony Bennett is selected the state’s new education commissioner (redefinED). He tells reporters afterwards that he champions school choice first and foremost because of the social justice component (redefinED). A new group headed by T. Willard Fair, co-founder of the state’s first charter school, aims to create a pipeline[Read More…]