Charter schools. The Pembroke Pines Charter Schools system, which recently cut teacher pay, is asking parents to pay $1,000 per student per year to restore the system’s reserves. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Gov. Rick Scott signs the bill boosting accountability for charter schools. Orlando Sentinel. Common Core. FEA President Andy[Read More…]
Tag: Florida teachers union
New parent trigger bill clears first hurdle in Florida House
The parent trigger bill is back in the Florida Legislature this year and, judging by the spirited 8-5 party line vote it got in its first committee stop Thursday, perhaps as contentious as ever. But unlike last year, some Florida parents and child advocates not only voiced support, but drove to[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Tutoring oversight, teachers unions, Tony Bennett & more
Tutoring oversight. In the first part of a two-part series on a requirement initially mandated by No Child Left Behind, a Tampa Bay Times investigation finds at least 36 of 456 tutoring companies in Florida are headed by people with criminal records. In part two, the Times traces last year’s last-minute legislative push to[Read More…]
Florida roundup: charter school politics, teaching to the test, school safety & more
Teaching to the test. The FEA is rallying members to a petition started by UFS Professor/blogger Sherman Dorn. Gradebook. Charter schools. In a vote along party lines, the House Choice and Innovation Subcommittee approves a bill that would allow charter schools to move into unused district buildings. redefinED. Coverage also from the[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Pension ruling, school safety, Bible distribution & more
Pension ruling. In a case brought by the state teachers union, the Florida Supreme Court rules 4-3 that it is constitutional for the state to require teachers and other state workers to contribute 3 percent of their pay towards their pensions. Coverage from the Herald/Times Capital Bureau, Palm Beach Post,[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Metal detectors, charter school laws, test score limbo & more
School safety. Superintendents and lawmakers talk about more funding for more security. Coverage from Gradebook, St. Augustine Record, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Daytona Beach News Journal. Some are worried about “open campuses,” reports SchoolZone. A bill is filed that would require private schools to get safety alerts, just like public schools,[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Tony Bennett’s first day, charter school funding, Satanists & more
Tony Bennett. On his first day on the job, he meets with superintendents and the Florida Association of District Administrators and says he is an “unapologetic advocate for school choice,” reports the Tallahassee Democrat. More from The Buzz. His first comments on the “Commissioner’s Blog” here. Interview with StateImpact Florida.[Read More…]
Column: Florida teachers union should celebrate teacher success
At the EdFly Blog today, former Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas asks a reasonable question: Why isn’t the Florida teachers union trumpeting the dramatic gains of Florida teachers? This morning’s Education Week ranking is just the latest in a long string of credible reports that finds Florida making steady academic progress. Shouldn’t Florida[Read More…]