'Schools of hope': In Florida, 77,000 students attend public schools that have received grades of D or F from the state for three years or more. Those are the schools House Republicans plan to improve with their "Schools of Hope" legislation, which would set aside $200 million to bring in well-regarded charter schools to offer those students an alternative. Nearly half of the struggling schools are in south Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Critics say the legislation is a simplistic solution to a complex problem. Miami Herald. Backers of the bill find support in a ruling last year by a Leon County judge. Circuit Judge George Reynolds tossed out a suit claiming that the state's funding of public schools did not meet the constitutional requirement to provide a "high quality" education system. Reynolds' ruling also warned of school boards' seeming complacency in accepting long-term F schools, something the new bill aims to address. redefinED.

School testing: Most legislators share the opinion that the state testing system needs to be reformed. What's unclear is which of the competing bills will be chosen by the Senate to move forward. One compresses the testing schedule into the final three weeks of the school year and requires results back within a week. The other would also move testing later in the school year, eliminate some exams and allow districts to administer the tests in paper and pencil. School officials say either bill would present practical challenges. Tampa Bay Times.

Religious expression: The House will vote Tuesday whether to proceed with the original Senate bill guaranteeing students and employees freedom of religious expression in public schools or adopt the House's shorter and amended version. Gradebook.

Disappearing seniors: The Manatee County School District is among 10 districts that have drawn the attention of the state Department of Education for their high number of likely-to-fail seniors who transfer from public high schools to alternative schools. Since the 2013-2014 school year, at least 515 Manatee County seniors who would not have graduated have transferred to Smart Horizons, an accredited online private school. Manatee Superintendent Diana Greene says anyone who thinks the district is "cooking the books" to improve graduation rates doesn't understand the numbers. Bradenton Herald. (more…)

Education on trial: A circuit court judge grills Education Commissioner Pam Stewart about the laws governing state vs. local control of education. Judge George Reynolds specifically wants to know who is responsible for turning around underperforming schools, the state government or the local school officials. Stewart was testifying in the nonjury civil trial in which Florida is accused of not fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. Here are videos of her testimony Thursday and Friday, and here are some of the exhibits. The trial is expected to last at least another three weeks. Politico Florida.

Incentive pay: Increasingly, school districts are turning to higher salaries to get teachers to work at struggling, low-income schools. But a decade of research shows "social working conditions are the things that matter for teachers way above and beyond pay," says Nicole Simon, a research affiliate at Harvard University's Project of Next Generation Teachers. "Money alone can't do what people want it to do." Tampa Bay Times.

Debt for construction: For the first time since 2011, Florida will issue bonds to pay for school construction projects. Gov. Rick Scott has approved a legislative plan to finance more than $600 million in education construction projects in the new budget. Gatehouse Media.

Education bill: Gov. Rick Scott has until April 14 to decide whether to sign the massive education bill the Legislature passed. Among other things, the bill would allow any student to enroll in any public school that has an opening and would give charter schools that serve children with disabilities or lower-income students a bigger slice of construction funding from the state. News Service of Florida. Fast-growing school districts, such as St. Johns County, have concerns that open enrollment will make it harder to enroll in-county students. Florida Times-Union.

Legislators graded: The nonprofit Foundation for Florida's Future, a Jeb Bush-founded group that supports initiatives such as school choice, names 20 legislators to its honor roll. Florida Politics.

Preschool funding: Early childhood advocates are angry that per-student funding for the Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program is flat for the third straight year, and is less than it was when it started a decade ago. Florida voters approved a free and "high quality" state pre-K in 2002, and it began in the 2005. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)