Funding. Gov. Rick Scott calls for a "continuation" budget, with potential implications for school funding, while legislative leaders say they intend to assemble a full state spending plan. Times/Herald. The Lee County school board votes unanimously not to ask voters to levy a sales tax for school facilities. Naples Daily News. Fort Myers News-Press.
Charter schools. The Palm Beach school district appeals a state Board of Education decision overturning its denial of a charter school application. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. The district and a shuttered charter point fingers over missing records that could cost the district millions in funding. Sun-Sentinel.
Magnet schools. A pair of highly regarded Palm Beach magnet programs land high in national rankings. Palm Beach Post.
Awards. Florida selects its principal of the year. Palm Beach Post.
Lawsuits. Florida Virtual School wins access to its supporting foundation's records in a court case. Orlando Sentinel.
Tax credit scholarships. Duval school board member Jason Fischer writes about the benefits of the program in the Florida Times-Union.
Charter schools. Two South Florida charter schools close suddenly, sending parents scrambling. Sun-Sentinel. As West Palm Beach prepares to open a municipal charter, it can draw lessons from successes and failures elsewhere. Palm Beach Post. The Duval School Board may close a struggling charter school. Florida Times-Union. Bay County charters are hiring drivers for their new bus system. Panama City News Herald.
Lawsuits. The Cato Institute's Andrew Coulson explores the lawsuit challenging Florida's tax credit scholarship program in Education Next.
Testing. The Lee County School Board backs away from a decision to "opt out" of all state standardized assessments. Times/Herald. Fort Myers News-Press. (More here). Naples Daily News. Associated Press. Sentinel School Zone. StateImpact. Tampa Tribune. The testing debate moves to Brevard. Florida Today.
Special needs. The Orlando Sentinel visits the Conductive Education Center of Orlando, which provides special services to children with special needs.
Teachers. A Broward teacher wins the national Teacher of the Year award. Sun-Sentinel.
College readiness. A Palm Beach Post columnist provides a grim read of Florida students' results on college entrance exams.
Lawsuits. Writers in the Tampa Tribune and National Review Online sharply criticize the lawsuit challenging Florida tax credit scholarships. A Tampa Bay Times columnist criticizes Gov. Rick Scott for opposing the lawsuit. State Sen. John Legg declines an award from one of the groups suing. Gradebook. redefinED.
Tax credit scholarships. My Fox Tampa Bay highlights a student attending a military-oriented private school his family feared would be out of reach.
Testing. The Lee County School Board may be poised to reverse its decision to "opt out" of standardized assessments. Fort Myers News-Press. More from the Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald. The Palm Beach Post editorial board weighs in. The News-Press has live coverage of the school board's meeting this morning. New state tests will change the way students are asked to write. Florida Times-Union.
Campaigns. School choice, Common Core, and partisan politics converged in Indian River school board campaigns that ousted incumbents. Indian River Press Journal.
Private schools. A private school adds a STEM center with the help of some high-profile donors. Bradenton Herald.
Charter schools. Bay County charter schools are preparing to set up their own shared busing system. Panama City News Herald. A rare charter conversion comes to Manatee. Bradenton Herald.
Lawsuits. The statewide teachers union, school boards association and other groups are preparing to announce the first direct constitutional challenge to Florida's tax credit scholarship program. Times/Herald. Sentinel School Zone. redefinED.
Testing. In clear violation of state law, the Lee County school board votes to "opt out" of all state standardized testing. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Collier schools roll out new end of course exams. Naples Daily News.
School choice. A Palm Beach school board member pushes for more choice options within the district, but meets resistance. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. The Northwest Florida Daily News visits a new, collegiate-themed charter high school.
English Language Learners. Gov. Rick Scott criticizes federal accountability rules for students learning English at an event in Miami. Miami Herald. Gradebook. He appears ready to challenge the standards for federal accountability waivers. StateImpact.
Common Core. The standards were not the election driver some expected. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Prayer. The Orange County school district's decision not to allow chaplains at football games draws heat from a local pastor. Orlando Sentinel.
Elections. Recounts are coming in Hillsborough and Palm Beach school board races. Palm Beach Post. Tampa Tribune. A winning Indian River candidate faces residency allegations. Indian River Press Journal.
Single gender. The Hillsborough District responds to an ACLU complaint. Tampa Tribune.
Tax credit scholarships.Sunshine State News reports on the latest evaluation of student results.
Digital learning. A Collier bring-your-own device policy proves popular. Naples Daily News.
Testing. The Lee County School Board discusses a district-wide testing boycott. Fort Myers News-Press.
Accountability. Brevard's superintendent discusses falling school grades. Florida Today.
Budgets. The Manatee school district faces an investigation into bond funding it could not account for. Bradenton Herald.
Campaigns. A "contract" between voters and five school board candidates stirs controversy in Collier. Naples Daily News. The Tampa Bay Times profiles a three-way race for an open school board seat in Pinellas while a columnist looks at a controversial incumbent in Hillsborough. The Tampa Tribune profiles a different Pinellas race, while the Bradenton Herald looks at one in Manatee.
English language learners. Pinellas looks to review its policies for students who need help learning English. Tampa Tribune.
Superintendents. Hillsobrough's MaryEllen Elia gets a contract renewal. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune.
Facilities. Polk County delays the release of impact fee revenue to the local school district. Lakeland Ledger.
Charter schools. Palm Beach County school district officials worry about the impact of expanding charter schools. Palm Beach Post. The Miami Herald flags charter schools among its examples of industries with issues in play in the legislative session that contribute to campaigns. Neighborhood groups are concerned about the traffic impact of a planned charter school for as many as 1,800 students. Herald. Miami TV stations follow a $25 million sex abuse and bullying lawsuit against a Miami charter school. CBS Miami. NBC Miami.
Virtual schools. A virtual charter school that met resistance from school district officials says it expects enrollment numbers to rise. Tampa Bay Times.
School choice. Palm Beach County parents should be finding out whether their children were admitted to choice programs. Extra Credit.
Tony Bennett. Florida's former education commissioner tells Chalkbeat Indiana that education reformers have lost the last several rounds of policy battles in a lengthy Q&A.
Advanced Placement. Florida's high school graduates outpace the nation in English and social-science courses. Not so in science or Calculus. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Teacher evaluations. The Department of Education watches as a handful of Pinellas County schools experiment with alternatives to VAM scores. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Charter schools. Florida State College at Jacksonville prepares to close its charter school. Florida Times-Union. The Duval County School Board green lights a separate charter proposal. Times-Union. The school district in Pinellas County considers taking over a charter school for at-risk students. Tampa Bay Times. A second Pinellas charter school is set to close in June. Tampa Tribune. A municipal charter in Miami-Dade gets a new director. Miami Herald. A Sunshine State News columnist chides liberals for their stances on charter schools.
Common Core. While Florida is largely sticking with the standards, the political backlash against them is prompting some legislative changes. Associated Press. One example: A textbook bill that cleared a House panel Tuesday. Extra credit. That's not enough for opponents of the standards, who are calling "mayday" to their allies nationally. Sentinel School Zone.
Prayer. A family says their 5-year-old daughter was told not to pray in her Seminole County school. Orlando Sentinel. The incident stirs controversy. WKMG. Gradebook.
Dual enrollment. The Lee County School Board reaches a deal with local colleges to cover the costs. Fort Myers News-Press.
Student safety. The Hillsborough County School Board approves a settlement in the wake of a girl's death. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times.
Employees. The Pasco school board overturns an employees suspension. Tampa Tribune. Gradebook. A Vietnamese former employee alleges racial discrimination in a lawsuit against the Palm Beach County school district. Extra Credit.
Administration. The Walton school board prepares to appoint a new superintendent. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teachers. Volusia County schools have more than 600 first-year teachers. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Transportation. The Hernando school board considers a "hub" model. Gradebook.
