Sparking the evolution of education choice
Editor’s note: This guest editorial written by Florida Sen. Joe Gruters, who represents District 32 and serves as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, first appeared in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. In her Nov. 1 column, (Herald Tribune opinions editor) Barbara Peters Smith wrote that she welcomes a debate[Read More…]
Two new studies illuminate Florida K-12 funding. The first, from Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, includes this chart: So, for those of you squinting at your iPhone, the east-west axis is tracking the percent change in enrollment between[Read More…]
Enrollment slowdown: State analysts project that Florida’s K-12 public school enrollment will grow by less than 17,000 students in the 2019-2020 school year, to about 2.86 million. That’s just an 0.6 percent increase over the forecast 2.84 million students expected when schools start in August. Analysts think the state’s various[Read More…]
Framers may weigh in: The so-called “framers” of the 1998 constitutional amendment that requires the state to provide high-quality public schools will be allowed to file a brief in a court challenge of a state education law, the Florida Supreme Court rules. The group Citizens for Strong Schools is suing[Read More…]
Storm closes schools: More school districts around the state announce closings because of Hurricane Irma. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Times-Union. Florida Today. Lakeland Ledger. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald. Charlotte Sun. Fort Myers News-Press. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star-Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Flagler Live. St. Augustine Record. Daily Commercial. WPBF. Bay News 9. WTSP. WESH. WOKV.[Read More…]
Teacher pay: Prospects for a statewide $200 million raise in pay for teachers have dimmed after proponent Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, says he is no longer pursuing the hike. Instead, Simmons says, he is backing an expansion of the teacher bonuses program, known as the Best and Bright Teacher Scholarship. Both[Read More…]
The most commonly cited price tag for Florida public schools represents only two-thirds of what they actually spend, a new report from Florida TaxWatch shows. The “true cost,” it says, shines a more favorable financial light on public education alternatives. “To be good stewards of education dollars,” writes TaxWatch president Dominic[Read More…]
