Editor’s note: This op-ed by Steve Knellinger, a longtime former public school educator and now private school administrator, ran this week in the Tampa Bay Times. Here’s a snippet: More than 30 years ago, parents in Pinellas County showed up at meetings to protest a new school choice program. Schools[Read More…]
Tag: IB
On school choice, teacher unions & McDonald’s franchises
While doing my end-of-the year inbox purge, I came across a few interesting items. In a Sept. 30 column in Human Events, Jeb Bush offered the nation’s teacher unions a grand bargain: “If unions released their grip on political levers, and parental choice was absolute, many public school reforms would[Read More…]
If privatization is bad, why don’t school choice critics target IB?
One of the arguments I hear from people determined to limit school choice options is that private companies shouldn’t be involved in the business of educating our kids. Activists against accountability rail against corporations that administer tests. Charter school opponents argue that for-profit companies are trying to profit from our[Read More…]
Doug Tuthill on school choice, accountability, Common Core & more
In today’s chat, we talked with Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students in Florida. Readers asked him about everything from Common Core and private schools, to whether the value of tax credit scholarships should be increased, to the right balance between school choice and government regs when it[Read More…]
School choice by moving van
Editor’s note: Most discussions of school choice today are focused on newer options – charters, vouchers, tax credit scholarships – that are intended to empower parents without the ability or means to access the right school. But Catherine Robinson, a Tampa mother and assistant director of outreach for the Step[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Catholic schools, teacher pay, accountability gaming & more
Catholic schools. Yet another Catholic school closes, this one in Palm Beach County, with many students turning to charter schools. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Charter schools. One in east Hillsborough will close after multiple issues, reports the Tampa Tribune. Dayspring Academy in Pasco, co-founded by state Sen. John Legg, wants to[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: laptops, gifted students, accelerated classes & more
School technology. StateImpact Florida takes a look at the One Laptop Per Child program. Accelerated classes. In Pasco, enrollment is climbing fast in AP, IB and dual enrollment. Tampa Bay Times. FCAT. Gains not as good as they sound, writes Shanker Blog. Three Pinellas elementary schools have among the worst math[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: FCAT scores, STEM teachers, super nerds & more
FCAT. FCAT writing scores up. FCAT reading and math scores flat. Miami Herald. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Times Union. StateImpact Florida. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Associated Press. Naples Daily News. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald Tribune. Pensacola News Journal. Tallahassee Democrat. Panama City News Herald. StateImpact has more[Read More…]