Retention issues: A judge says she may rule this week in a lawsuit brought against the state's third-grade retention policy. Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers did not grant the request to immediately promote third-graders who did poorly on the state reading test or opted out of taking it, saying she wanted to give the state and the six districts named in the suit time to respond. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Many school districts in the state offer alternative ways for third-graders to advance even if they do poorly on the state test or opt out of taking it. Gradebook.
Maintenance issues: Palm Beach County school officials say 40 of its 196 schools are in unsatisfactory or poor condition, and seven need to be torn down and rebuilt. Mold, leaks, broken equipment and more are reported. The district and the county are asking voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax in November. Half the proceeds would go for school construction. Sun-Sentinel.
School construction: Almost two years after Broward County voters approved an $800 million school renovation program, no work has been done. School Superintendent Robert Runcie says the district has had a "little bit of a rough start getting out of the box." There have been errors in assessing needs, confusion about advertising for bids, problems in the purchasing department and troubles following Florida's Sunshine Law that caused the district to repeat work. Some costs are running 57 percent above original estimates. Despite the problems, Runcie says the work will be completed by 2022, as originally estimated. Sun-Sentinel.
Back to school: More Florida school districts open their doors to students today. Florida Times-Union. Palm Beach Post. Tallahassee Democrat. Lakeland Ledger. TCPalm. TCPalm. Gainesville Sun. WFLA. Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is criticized by school board members for a late and potentially confusing letter going out to parents. The letters inform parents of their "assigned" schools, which could be different from the schools parents have chosen. Board members say the letters are confusing, and were also unhappy that about 265 letters just went out Thursday. School starts today. Florida Times-Union. The Orange County School District opens the Wedgefield K-8 School today. It has room for about 1,200 students. Orlando Sentinel. Volusia County officials start the school year today with a goal of reducing chronic absenteeism by 10 percent. Daytona Beach News-Journal. (more…)
Teacher bonuses: An analysis shows that teachers in affluent areas around the state are twice as likely to receive bonuses through the state's Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program than teachers working in high-poverty schools. The findings mirror a study the Florida Department of Education did last year, and national research. Orlando Sentinel. Calling his bonus from the state "the dumbest money I have ever received," Orange County teacher Josh Katz says he is giving his $8,256.27 to political candidates who can "fix education and stop stupid policies." Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel.
Open enrollment effects: Volusia County school officials say the scope of the bill allowing open enrollment worries them. "We are still processing it," said spokeswoman Nancy Wait. "It is huge, has a lot of tentacles and involves a lot of staff. We are still trying to wrap our arms around it." Daytona Beach News-Journal. Palm Beach County school officials say they're waiting for the state's technical information on open enrollment before they can understand how the law might affect the district. Thirty-four schools in Palm Beach County now are at capacity or beyond, and another nine are 95 percent or more filled, school officials say. Palm Beach Post. In south Florida and the Tampa Bay area, the new law isn't causing any panic, school officials say. Districts in those areas have been permitting students to move into schools out of their attendance areas for years. Miami Herald. Gradebook.
Construction rules: Rural school districts in Florida will have to raise money for new construction projects before they can apply for state assistance, according to the education bill signed into law last week by Gov. Rick Scott. Politico Florida.
Teacher evaluations: Just 11.3 percent of Lake County teachers are judged by the state to be highly effective, less than one-third of the state's average. Some Lake County School Board members say that's an example of what's wrong with the state's teacher evaluation system, and they will discuss the problem at a meeting today. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
