The Brookings Institution’s ranking of school choice met with mixed results today, and properly so. But one conclusion that may escape attention should have profound implications for choice and school governance in the years to come: One of every two households engages in some form of school choice, and more would do so if[Read More…]
Tag: Florida
Is a six-period high school day an offense to the Constitution?
Two years have passed since a coalition of public school supporters asked Florida courts to improve the quality of classroom education, and a divided 8-7 First District Court of Appeal ruling last week reminds us how messy these things can be. The merits of the case have not even been[Read More…]
New Florida ed commish: Don’t pigeonhole school choice
The St. Petersburg Times’ education blog, The Gradebook, just landed what looks to be the first interview with Florida’s newly appointed education chief, Gerard Robinson, the former president of the Black Alliance for Education Options and secretary of education in Virginia. The Gradebook noted that Robinson’s support of charter schools[Read More…]
Universal choice plan passes Florida Senate panel
Florida’s Senate Education Committee just passed a plan that would make a voucher or other money for educational expenses universally accessible to Florida families. Despite its “vouchers-for-all” moniker, the proposed bill creating Education Savings Accounts passed with the support of one Democrat, Bill Montford, who also serves as the chief executive of the Florida[Read More…]
A constructive look inside the classroom, but a word of caution
The Florida House today passed a landmark teacher pay and tenure bill — one Gov. Rick Scott said he will sign it into law — but one evaluation remains overlooked. Under the bill, parents could get a report card on their own student’s teacher. The disclosure provision in SB 736 is narrowly drawn:[Read More…]
Rhee keeps heaping praise on Florida
The St. Petersburg Times caught up with Michelle Rhee today and asked for her thoughts on the Florida Senate’s swift approval of a measure that would revamp the hiring and firing of teachers and install performance-based evaluations. Rhee told reporter Jeff Solochek, “We’re very excited about the progress that’s been made[Read More…]
Bill revamping teacher contracts gets fast-tracked in Florida
UPDATE: Senate passes SB 736 by a 26-12 margin, with one Democrat voting in favor and two Republicans in opposition. The Florida Senate and the Florida House Education Committee are currently debating a closely watched measure to revamp the way teachers are evaluated, paid and — perhaps most significantly — how[Read More…]
The State of the Sunshine State
Florida Gov. Rick Scott will deliver his first State of the State speech this evening, and whatever he may say about education, political observers in the Sunshine State already are calling this legislative session one of the most consequential, and controversial, for public education. Michelle Rhee has visited the state several times, in part[Read More…]