Charter students' performance: Florida charter school students are outperforming their traditional public school peers in nearly every category of achievement, according to a report issued by the Florida Department of Education. Students in charter schools had a higher level of achievement on statewide assessment test in 63 of 77 comparisons, had higher learning gains in 88 of 96 comparisons, and had lower achievement gaps between white and minority students. The results show that “there is simply no denying that choice works, particularly for minority and low-income students,” says Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. redefinED. Gradebook. Florida Politics. Florida Daily. Florida Department of Education. Traditional public schools have higher percentages of students in poverty, so is the analysis fair? Florida Phoenix.
Book-banning bill tempered: The House PreK-12 Quality committee has watered down the language in a bill introduced to remove books with "pornography" from public schools. H.B. 855 had drawn opposition from school leaders and science advocates who called it censorship and an infringement of the rights of local school officials to decide on what materials they could use. The streamlined version removes provisions criminalizing the purchase of materials that are found to be "unacceptable," language that separates literature from pornography, and changes the textbook challenge process to keep the decision in the hands of the local school boards. Gradebook.
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Board term limits: A bill that would place the issue of local school board term limits on the Florida ballot has been approved by a second House subcommittee. The vote was 11-4 in favor, mostly along party lines with Republicans supporting it, though members from both parties called for some changes. The Senate version of the bill has yet to receive a committee hearing. The bill would limit board members to eight years in office. It would require approval by 60 percent of both chambers to make the 2020 ballot, then 60 percent of Florida voters to be added to the Constitution. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. Florida Politics.
School security: Broward County School Board members approve policies designed to address safety flaws that were criticized after the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. All schools will have to identify corners in every classroom for students to hide safely in, and all school employees will be required to call a "Code Red" emergency if they see or hear anything threatening student safety. Sun Sentinel. WLRN. WPLG. Court cases provide guidance on the liability of schools and districts in keeping students safe. Education Dive. (more…)
