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…]
Tag: Florida and private schools
Florida roundup: Tony Bennett, school choice fairs, teachers and guns & 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…]
Emerging market in public education is a good thing
Words such as voucher, privatization, profit and corporation are often used as weapons by individuals and groups who oppose parental empowerment and school choice. Using words as weapons is especially common during periods of significant social change – we all do it – but the practice undermines civic discourse and[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Rezoning snobs, home-school stereotypes, Rick Scott & more
School funding. Gov. Rick Scott wants to spend additional revenue on public schools, reports the Florida Current. Funding and other education issues are woven through a mid-term progress report on Scott from the Tampa Bay Times. Rezoning. The Seminole school district is swamped with proposals, reports Orlando Sentinel. Affluent parents[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…]
Florida roundup: Tony Bennett, voucher testing, Newtown reverberations & more
Not the best fit. Andy Ford, president of the Florida teachers union, says in this Q&A with the Orlando Sentinel that Tony Bennett is “the best fit for the Jeb Bush power structure, but not the best choice for Florida’s students, parents and school employees.” Board of Education member Kathleen[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…]