Hope Scholarship: With some Florida school districts saying they're confused by the law that offers state scholarships for bullied K-12 students, state Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, has filed a bill intended to clarify the rules and further expand the scholarship. S.B. 1410 would remove school districts from making any decisions about a student's eligibility for a Hope Scholarship. Instead, parents would go directly to the scholarship funding organization for an application and simply have to report a bullying incident to be eligible, with no verification required. The bill would also offer the scholarships to students from private schools. Gradebook. redefinED.
Gardiner Scholarship: Two bills are filed that would expand Gardiner Scholarships for students with special needs and make it simpler for parents to renew them. H.B. 1051, filed by Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, R-DeLand, and S.B. 1380, sponsored by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, would allow parents to submit applications when their child turns 3, and use the scholarship to pay for tuition and fees associated with art, music or theater programs. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the state's Gardiner, Hope, tax credit and reading scholarships. redefinED.
'Alternative theories': A bill is filed that would allow Florida school districts to teach students alternative theories to what it calls "controversial theories" such as evolution and human-created climate change in a “factual, objective and balanced manner.” The bill is sponsored by State Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who says schools need to teach "different worldviews" on those subjects because textbooks present a “uniformity” of thought. Keith Flaugh, the managing director of the Florida Citizens Alliance, which wrote the bill, says says the curriculum taught in Florida schools equates to “political and religious indoctrination.” Tampa Bay Times.
Biblical courses: Florida is one of at least six states considering allowing Bible literacy classes in public schools. Supporters include President Trump, who tweeted: "Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!" Florida's proposed bill would require public high schools to offer an elective course providing an "objective study of religion." Washington Post. (more…)
School security: The Broward County School Board accepts Superintendent Robert Runcie's recommendation and votes unanimously against participating in the state's guardian program to arm specified school employees. The district will ask the state if it can redirect money from the guardian program to hire resource officers. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. The state will send Duval County $4 million for school safety, but interim superintendent Patricia Willis says the district needs $14 million to place a resource officer in every school. Florida Times-Union. Palm Beach County School Superintendent Donald Fennoy is planning to restructure the district's police force, which includes choosing a new chief and adding 75 officers to the 150 it has now. Palm Beach Post. Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey, who had strongly pushed the school board to participate in the guardian program, is now recommending against it, and Superintendent Desmond Blackburn says he agrees. Ivey says he's worried the debate about arming school employees is overshadowing the more important need for resource officers in every school. Florida Today. Polk County school officials are considering hiring armed security guards for their schools. “Basically, what we’re doing is creating our own police force,” says Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. Lakeland Ledger. To meet state mandates on school security, many Florida districts are shifting money from other projects, including instructional, dipping into reserves or contemplating borrowing. Reuters.
More on report card: While most of the nation had so-so results on the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments, also known as the nation's report card, Florida students outperformed their peers in grades 4 and 8 reading and grade 4 math, and was the only state to show improvements in three of the four categories. Three large Florida districts -- Miami-Dade, Duval and Hillsborough -- also ranked among the leaders of the 27 that participated in a trial urban district assessment. Here's the full NAEP report and highlights. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. redefinED. Miami Herald. The 74. Florida Governor's Office. What's Florida doing that other states could emulate? Education Week. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos praises Florida as a "bright spot" in NAEP testing, but pointing to the stagnant scores and a widening achievement gap, says "we can and we must do better for America’s students." Education Week. Politico Florida. (more…)
Housing for teachers: It's becoming harder for Miami-Dade County teachers to find a place they can afford to rent in Miami-Dade County. So the county and the school district are collaborating on a plan to build apartments for teachers above a new school. The first phase of the plan would be to tear down an abandoned public housing project near Southside Elementary School in the Brickell area and build a school for grades 6-8. One floor would be used for apartments, with other floors devoted to parking and classrooms. “When you look at teacher salaries, it’s just impossible for them to get into the housing market,” says Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center. If it's successful, the county and board will propose building a 300-apartment complex next to Phillis Wheatley Elementary, just north of downtown. Miami Herald.
Education court case: Now that the legislative session is over, the Florida Supreme Court will resume its review of the lawsuit that alleges the state has violated its constitutional role to fund an "an efficient, safe, secure and uniform high-quality education." Legislative leaders asked the court to suspend its review during the session. The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled that the question of financing was not an issue for the judicial branch. The case, Citizens for Strong Schools, was filed in 2009. Gradebook.
Atheists offer signs: The Tampa-based group Atheists of Florida is offering to provide signs with the saying "In God We Trust" free to every school in Florida to fulfill a requirement in the recently passed education bill. "We want to help educate about the First Amendment and the establishment clause, as well as about the diversity in our country," says executive director Judy Adkins. One of the versions would state "E Pluribus Unum, In God We Trust" in a circle with red, white and blue stars and stripes. The outside of the circle would contain words from the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Gradebook. (more…)
Shooting video: Security video taken around the Parkland school building where a massacre was taking place Feb. 14 shows the school resource officer drawing his gun but staying outside the building. After the shooting ended, with 17 people dead, deputy Scot Peterson said he thought the gunshots were coming from outside. But later-released radio transmissions with other officers showed that Peterson had identified the building where the shooting was taking place. Peterson resigned after being suspended. “The video speaks for itself,” the Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. Palm Beach Post.
Superintendent faulted: An Okaloosa County grand jury investigating the school district's handling of a child abuse case concludes that Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson "is responsible for the safety and well-being of 30,000 students. We find that she has failed to fulfill that obligation. We further find that she has not satisfied her obligations as an elected official." No criminal charges were recommended against Jackson, but the grand jury encouraged the State Attorney's Office to continue investigating her. Jackson would not comment on testimony, but expressed concerns “that the testimony presented may have been incomplete.” The grand jury also recommended that Henry Kelley, the district’s director of community affairs, be charged with a non-criminal violation of the Florida Sunshine Law. Northwest Florida Daily News. WEAR.
Superintendents push: The state's school superintendents keep up the pressure on Gov. Rick Scott to call a special session to boost K-12 school spending. The superintendents say districts will receive just 47 cents per student to pay for such things as rising fuel costs, employee pensions, insurance, and state mandates. "Let’s do more for our students," said Hillsborough Superintendent Jeff Eakins at a gathering of school leaders from Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Polk counties. "Florida can do more than 47 cents for our future." Scott has said he's satisfied with the education budget, and legislative leaders say a special session isn't needed. Gradebook. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
ESSA plan: After federal education officials recently raised questions about Florida's plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state asks for an extension beyond the Jan. 4 deadline to rework the plan. State officials say they are still reviewing the letter federal officials sent that questions the state's plans to measure how individual groups of students perform and to consider progress made by English-language learners when holding schools accountable for student learning and progress. "We acknowledge that USED may not be able to provide a final determination within the 120-day period in the law," Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart wrote in her request for an extension. "Our focus is the successful completion of the 2017-18 school year as school districts continue to recover from Hurricane Irma and embrace the nearly 9,000 students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as a result of Hurricane Maria.” Politico Florida.
Active shooter training: The University of Central Florida is using video game technology to help train teachers on how to react to an active shooter scenario. The $5.6 million technology was developed by the Homeland Security Department and the U.S. Army, and is similar to the program used to train soldiers in combat tactics. "With teachers, they did not self-select into a role where they expect to have bullets flying near them. Unfortunately, it’s becoming a reality,” says chief project engineer Tamara Griffith. “We want to teach teachers how to respond as first responders.” Associated Press.
Bonuses mistakenly paid: Twenty-seven Leon County School District employees wrongly received about $180,000 from the state's Best and Brightest teacher bonuses program, according to a recent report from the Florida auditor general. The audit showed that 21 teachers who received $143,155 in bonuses were not rated as "highly effective," a requirement to be eligible for the payments. Another six who received $40,902 weren't eligible because they didn't meet the state's definition of a classroom teacher. All must repay the district, which in turn will send the money to the state Department of Education. The audit also raised concerns about a lack of competitive bidding to select health insurance companies and the security of personal information for students. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. WCTV.
Schools of Hope rules: Rules have been proposed to implement the "Schools of Hope" part of the education bill passed in the Legislature earlier this year. The rules define what companies can be "hope operators," who can then open a charter school within 5 miles of a persistently low-performing public school. The law outlined three criteria for becoming a "hope operators" - that student achievement exceeds district and state averages in the states in which they have schools; that college attendance rates have to exceed 80 percent; and that at least 7 in 10 students at their schools are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch. But the proposed rules would allow the state to choose operators that meet just one of the criteria, at least for the time being. Politico Florida.
Performance pressure: The pressure is on at Hawthorne Middle/High School in Alachua County. When the school got a D grade from the state in the spring, state officials gave school official three choices if the school's grade isn't a C or better next spring - close, transition to a charter school, or find an outside provider to run the school. School officials chose to close, which is reflected in the #AllIn slogan plastered on the walls of the school. The school is the heart of this rural community, and residents have rallied around the improvement plan. WUFT.
Tax bill and education: The final version of the federal tax bill retains the $250 deduction teachers can take for spending their own money on supplies for their classrooms, allows 529 college savings plans to be used for up to $10,000 in annual K-12 expenses, including private school tuition, and ends qualified school construction bonds, among other things. It also limits to $10,000 what taxpayers can deduct in either a combination of property and income taxes, or property and sales taxes. Some educators say that could pressure local government officials to lower property taxes, which would potentially lower revenue for schools. Education Week.
Schools of Hope: Thirty-three struggling Florida schools have applied for extra money through the state's Schools of Hope program. This is the second round of applications. In the first round, 50 schools applied for the extra $2,000 per student, but only 11 were accepted. The state is limiting the number of schools in the program to 25. The state Board of Education is expected to announce the winners next month. Gradebook.
Proposed amendments: A committee of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission approves two proposed constitutional amendments - one that would set term limits for local school board members at eight consecutive years, retroactive to 2016, and another that would require school district superintendents to be appointed rather than elected. The proposals still have to be approved by 22 of the 37 commissioners before they can be placed on the November 2018 ballot. Then, 60 percent of voters would have to approve to put the amendments into effect. Gradebook. Politico Florida. The move to require school superintendents to be appointed riles some superintendents from rural areas. Politico Florida. The panel also will consider a proposal that would allow entities other than local school districts to oversee charter schools. The proposal was made by Erika Donalds, a Collier County School Board and CRC member. redefinED.
State responds to suits: Lawyers for the state are asking a a Leon County circuit court judge to dismiss a lawsuit against six provisions in the new education bill, H.B. 7069. They argued that the 13 districts bringing the suit don't have the standing to challenge five of those provisions. They also say claims that the law will harm local schools is "speculative." The sixth provision in the law requires districts to share more local tax revenues with charter schools. It is being challenged by the Palm Beach County School Board. State lawyers point out that districts are already required to share some local tax money with charters. redefinED.
Suit dismissal sought: The Florida Department of Education is asking a court to dismiss a challenge to the new education law, H.B. 7069. The suit was filed by the Palm Beach County School Board, and focuses on the portion of the law that requires school districts to provide money to charter schools for construction and other building-related expenses. The DOE says the lawsuit is “based on erroneous interpretations of the Florida Constitution.” News Service of Florida.
Dual enrollment: More than 15,000 south Florida high school students are now taking dual-enrollment courses to earn college credits, saving both time and money as they work toward a college degree. Several high schools are even set up specifically for students to take college courses. Sun-Sentinel.
Textbook challenges: Since the Legislature approved a law making it easier for anyone to challenge classroom material as pornographic, biased, inaccurate or a violation of state law, seven Florida school districts say they have received challenges to textbooks. Associated Press.
Amendment proposals: The Constitution Revision Commission's education committee will consider three proposals today: ending pay for school board members, requiring superintendents to be appointed instead of elected, and setting term limits for school board members. All are proposed by Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds. Politico Florida. More than 10 of the 103 constitutional amendment proposals focus on education. Here are summaries of all 103. Sun-Sentinel.
A call for reform: Legislators and local school officials are calling for better oversight of private schools that get millions of dollars from the state's three scholarship programs. A series in the Orlando Sentinel last week detailed how some of those schools hired uncertified teachers with criminal backgrounds and submitted falsified fire reports for years without the state taking action against them. State Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, remains a supporter of the tax credit, Gardiner and McKay scholarships, but agrees that "there's some place between no regulation and over-regulation.” Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the tax credit and Gardiner scholarship programs. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher pay: Gov. Rick Scott has pushed for higher teacher pay in the past, but now is saying that the decision is out of his hands. "The way our system is set up in our state those decisions are made at the local level," Scott said during a discussion with teachers. "What I tell everybody is, 'You have to be active with your school board members, your superintendents.' " Associated Press. Scott did say that his budget proposal will include $63 million for teachers to help buy classroom supplies, an increase of $18 million over last year. That would bump the $250 a year teachers receive for supplies to $350. WTLV.
'Schools of hope': The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter school network is working on establishing a "school of hope" in the Liberty City area of Miami. The tentative agreement calls for the Miami-Dade County School Board to provide KIPP Miami with a facility, and KIPP would receive a state grant to help disadvantaged students and share its training programs with the district. The "schools of hope" program was set up by the Legislature to offer financial incentives so charter companies could move into neighborhoods with persistently struggling schools. KIPP is the nation’s largest nonprofit charter school network. redefinED.
