Open enrollment: Central Florida school districts are beginning to talk about how open enrollment will work. But school officials are already warning that there aren't a lot of schools with openings, and they expect plenty of confusion for parents when the new law goes into effect for the 2017-2018 school year. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher shortage: About three months into the school year, more than 600 teaching vacancies remain unfilled in south Florida. Thousands of students are getting instruction from brand-new teachers and substitutes who may be unfamiliar with the subjects they are teaching. Sun-Sentinel.
Trump on education: With Donald Trump as president, Americans can expect more voucher programs and charter schools, and more uncertainty for struggling schools and immigrant students. Miami Herald.
Sales tax projects: The Palm Beach County School District will move quickly on several projects after voters approved an increase of a penny to the sales tax last week. Superintendent Robert Avossa says the district's first priorities will be to buy new school buses, replace some schools' roofs and upgrade classroom technology. The tax is expected to generate about $1.3 billion over the next 10 years for the district. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach County officials vow to closely monitor and track spending of the money from the sales tax increase. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)
Pledge problems: After some parents protested when their children brought home a waiver to opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school, the Leon County School District is removing the form from the student handbook. The district apologized for the confusion, and now will simply ask parents to sign a form confirming they have read the handbook, which describes the process to opt out of saying the Pledge. WTXL. WTVT. Tallahassee Democrat. WFSU. WCTV.
School testing: Scores on the most recent ACT tests show that many graduating seniors are unprepared for college-level classes. The average test score dipped from 21.0 to 20.8, and only 38 percent of students achieved the benchmark in at least three of the four core subjects tested - reading, English, math and science. In Florida, 81 percent of graduating students took the ACT, and the average score was 19.9. Associated Press. The Lee County School Board reluctantly passes a testing schedule for the school year. "Is it what we want? Probably not. Is it the best that staff said it could come up with, where it would be approved by the state? Yes, at this time," said board member Jeanne Dozier. Fort Myers News-Press.
Defining participant: The act of participating in the Florida Standards Assessments testing is defined by the state as answering a single question, deputy education commissioner Juan Copa said this week in a court hearing over the state's third-grade retention policies. Answering one question allows a school to count that student in the participation rate, which is important because schools must have a rate of 95 percent or lose money from the state. Copa also said the definition of participating may change from year to year. Gradebook. Both sides are awaiting a ruling by a Leon County judge on the retention case that is narrow in focus but could have a huge impact on the state's accountability system. Orlando Sentinel.
Education poll: Support for charter schools, school testing and merit pay for teachers is rising among Americans, but declining for Common Core standards, school vouchers and teacher tenure, according to an annual survey by the journal Education Next. Orlando Sentinel. Politico. (more…)
Plan questioned: Leaders in St. Petersburg's black community expressed skepticism that the plan to overhaul five high-poverty elementary schools will work, and are upset that the plan was developed without their input. Members of the Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students say they've heard promises from school officials before, but little has changed. The plan calls for hiring a minority achievement officer, creating special centers for students suspended out of school, and establishing a "transformation zone" with intense support for Pinellas' failing elementary schools. The proposal also would pay teachers in those schools up to $25,000 more a year, create a longer school day and allow more control at the school level over the curriculum and schedule. Tampa Bay Times.
Construction rules: The massive education bill passed by the Legislature contains potential relief on construction costs for school districts. School facilities now must be built using a more stringent set of standards called the State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF). House bill 7029 would loosen four specific SREF rules, as long as districts get public support, show the cost savings and ensure student safety. Politico Florida.
Promise Zone: The Escambia County School District is partnering with other community organizations to seek a Promise Zone designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Pensacola neighborhood. Sixty-four urban areas have applied for the designation, but only five will be chosen. Promise Zone receives priority access to federal investments on initiatives on poverty, education, crime and health-care. Pensacola News Journal. Rick's Blog.
School changes: The Duval County School Board approves new academic programs at four schools. Andrew Jackson High and R.L. Brown Elementary will become magnet schools. John Love Elementary will become a preschool to second-grade school, and Longbranch Elementary will be for grades 3-5. The board also voted to suspend or fire two teachers, two teacher's aides and a security guard. Florida Times-Union.
Cost of security: Miami-Dade school officials want to add 7,000 school security cameras to the 12,000 they already have. The cost would be $10 million spread over five years. Miami Herald. (more…)
