Sparking the evolution of education choice
It’s only fitting: Florida, a trailblazer in expanding school choice, will be among the busiest states during National School Choice Week. This year’s celebration, which officially begins Sunday, is by far the largest ever, with more than 3,500 events in 50 states, up from 406 last year. Florida has at least[Read More…]
In this lengthy exit interview with the Indianapolis Star, new Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett adds to a simmering debate, sparked last month by Gov. Rick Scott, about whether students using vouchers and tax credit scholarships to attend private schools in Florida should be required to take the same standardized tests as their[Read More…]
There is now a House companion to a Senate bill in Florida that would require private schools to get safety alerts just like public schools. Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, filed HB 369 Monday. It’s a counterpart to SB 284, filed by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm City. Both bills would[Read More…]
School choice in Texas is getting a big push this year from a key lawmaker who has made it a top priority. “I’m the new chair of the Senate Education Committee and this is important to me,’’ state Sen. Dan Patrick, who has served on the committee for six years,[Read More…]
No honeymoon for Bennett. Especially from the teachers union, reports WCTV. The new commissioner should resolve the bureaucratic limbo over concordant test scores needed for graduation, editorializes the Tampa Bay Times. Pensions. It’s a political issue for 2014 now that the Florida Supreme Court has ruled against the teachers unions, writes[Read More…]
California: A parents group in Los Angeles is using the state’s landmark parent trigger law to force the school district to reform a low-performing school. (Los Angeles Times). More from the Associated Press and Education Week. A national report finds the state continues to lead the nation in charter school growth, despite funding disparities[Read More…]
In the wake of the school shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn., traditional public schools aren’t the only ones having serious discussions about how to beef up safety. In Florida, charter schools and private schools are also making sure they’re maximizing protection for students, parents and staff. But as district officials[Read More…]
Tony Bennett. The Orlando Sentinel hopes the new commissioner, who begins work today, “treads with discretion.” The Associated Press recalls his tenure in Indiana and ties to Jeb Bush. Expand school choice now! Sort of. The Tampa Bay Times means options under district control: “The broader answer to improving public[Read More…]
