Campaigns. Democrats attack Gov. Rick Scott on education funding. PolitiFact rates them half true. Pinellas school board candidates talk charter schools, Common Core and other hot topics. Gradebook.
Transformation. The information revolution that's playing out in other industries will bring dramatic changes to education in the coming years, former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings writes in the Wall Street Journal.
Growth. Lee County schools are growing, but the district is short on construction funding. Fort Myers News-Press.
Class size. The Duval school district faces a penalty under the state's rules limiting class size. Florida Times-Union.
Closures. The Sarasota school district shuts down a school for emotionally troubled students, saying it would prefer to place them in mainstream classrooms. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Teachers. The Sun-Sentinel writes up the federal government's plan to improve teacher equity. Pasco schools aim to limit teachers transferring during the school year. Gradebook.
Superintendents. Osceola's superintendent gets a new contract. Sentinel School Zone.
Administration. An ousted Manatee County administrator could receive back pay and other compensation after complaints against him are dismissed. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Unions. Pasco county's school superintendent and union president are at odds over his management style. Gradebook.
Special needs. Financial difficulties continue for a Polk County private school for children with autism. Lakeland Ledger.
Career academies. A Palm Beach student attending a charter school's medical academy travels to Sweden for a symposium on the human brain. Palm Beach Post.
Pushback. An Orange County teacher gets national attention for deriding a "toxic culture" in public schools and casting "private education companies" as "the supervillain." Orlando Sentinel.
Testing. Pinellas officials seek a review of FCAT scores. Gradebook.
Closures. The Orange school board faces parents irate over a potential school closure. Orlando Sentinel.
Student behavior. Palm Beach students engage in more risky behavior than their peers in other districts. Sun-Sentinel. Yet teen smoking is down there, and also in Broward. Sun-Sentinel.
Facilities. The Pinellas school district looks to sell or lease idle school buildings. Tampa Bay Times. Polk County prepares to revamp its high school cafeterias. Lakeland Ledger.
School choice. It's apparently among the hot topics at public forums throughout the Lee County school district, though the Naples Daily News does not elaborate much on that point.
STEM. A South Florida middle school students who takes courses online through Stanford University impresses President Obama with his inventions. Sun-Sentinel.
Special needs. Duval schools face a federal investigation after a disability rights group alleges they denied students services. Florida Times-Union.
Tax credit scholarships. Scholarships help students find schools that meet their needs, Henry Fortier writes in the Orlando Sentinel. A judge blocks Alabama's new scholarship program, saying lawmakers approved it using an unconstitutional maneuver. EdWeek.
Magnet schools. Kindergarten students at a math and science magnet in Hernando County show off their writing skills. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. Teachers are anxious about the FCAT's coming replacement. Fort Myers News-Press.
Budgets. Clerical and security worker jobs could be affected by coming budget cuts in Duval. Florida Times-Union. A Manatee school system audit finds misuse of funds. Bradenton Herald.
Parent volunteers. A middle school PTA official is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars. Daytona Beach News-Journal. (more…)
School choice. "There has always been school choice," Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino claims in a column railing against charter schools and private-school scholarship programs.
Single-gender classes. Half a dozen single-gender schools are preparing to open in Jacksonville. Florida Times-Union.
Common Core. The latest tactic for opponents of the standards is a long shot. They are seeking a special legislative session in Florida. StateImpact.
Pay raises. Orange County teachers will vote on a re-worked pay raise plan approved by the school board. Orlando Sentinel. More from the Sentinel. WKMG. News 13.
Testing. It's bring-your-own computer mouse for some Pasco County teachers as their schools administer more statewide standardized exams on computers. Gradebook. For some schools, FCAT preparation includes pep rallies. Tampa Bay Times. StateImpact profiles the new SAT. Lee County teachers oppose high-stakes testing. Naples Daily News.
Arts. A new music program comes with better academic results for a Miami middle school. Miami Herald.
School closures. An Orlando college student produces a documentary arguing against the closure of an elementary school, which could come as a result of a new inner-city school opening nearby. Orlando Sentinel.
Charter schools. Democratic lawmakers refer to state captial funds for charter schools as a "theft" from public education. Tampa Bay Times. Creative Loafing. Times columnist John Romano tees off on the subject.
School choice. Most parents in Lee County get their first choice in the district's choice lottery. Naples Daily News.
Testing. The main round FCAT English and math tests is being administered for the last time. Sentinel School Zone. Panama City News-Herald. StateImpact looks at what's next. Schools are moving to computerized testing. Pensacola News Journal. A Southwest Florida mother starts "opting out" of assessments. Fort Myers News-Press.
Teacher quality. WJCT begins an in-depth look at Duval schools' efforts to recruit teachers where they are most needed, which continues here.
Technical Centers. Palm Beach County's auto shop is closed after student injuries. Palm Beach Post.
Math instruction. Students who struggle with Algebra I can put time in over the summer. Tampa Tribune.
Disasters. An audit finds issues with Palm Beach County Schools' emergency plan. Palm Beach Post.
Transportation. Employee concerns mount over the state of the system in Hillsborough. Tampa Tribune. Gradebook.
Teacher conduct. Charges are sought against a Manatee County teacher accused of inappropriately touching a student. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
School choice. Legislation expanding education options passes in the Florida House, while the Senate remains more cautious. Times/Herald.
Charter schools. The sponsor of the House's charter-school bill taps the breaks as he works on amendments. Florida Current. Palm Beach County officials give a school focused on African-American curriculum one last chance to stay open. Palm Beach Post.
Common Core. The standards will be coming soon to a theater near you. Orlando Sentinel. The statewide teachers union pushes back claims that the standards have been taught in Florida public schools since 2010. Gradebook.
Testing. An Orange County teacher donates his school-recognition bonus to a group that opposes high-stakes testing. Orlando Sentinel. Pasco County schools set up a new online system to help their students prepare for state end of course exams. Tampa Bay Times. Leon County Schools reschedule take-your-kid-to-work day to accommodate the state's testing schedule. Tallahassee Democrat.
Funding. How much did Gov. Rick Scott propose to cut education spending during his first year in office? PolitiFact. More education funding. lower taxes. That's what's in the budget this year. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Jeb Bush. The Tampa Bay Times writes up his foundation's campaign touting Florida's education improvement. The former governor brings his show to Vegas. Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Capital needs. Lee County district officials say they need more funding for buildings to help them deal with enrollment growth. Fort Myers News-Press.
Common Core: The new national education standards are attracting opposition and causing a rift among Republicans. Miami Herald. Parents can expect more project-based homework, group work in class and less multiple-choice tests thanks to Common Core State Standards. Sun Sentinel. More from the Miami Herald. Parents: This school year will be the last time your student has to take the FCAT. Probably. Palm Beach Post. Treasure Coast educators say the curriculum this year will be a blend of current and new standards. TC Palm.
Charter schools: Florida's auditor general calls for increased oversight of charter schools after report shows an increase in the number operating at a deficit. In Broward County, 17 of 73 charter schools ended the 2011-12 financial year in the red. In Palm Beach County, it was four out of 35 schools. Sun Sentinel. Pembroke Pines considers selling a highly-contested 43-acre property to Discovery Schools to build a charter school. Sun Sentinel. Duval County's charter schools have tripled from seven in 1999 to 21 today with enrollment jumping from 609 in 2003 to more than 7,500. Florida Times-Union.
Parents: The Tampa Tribune looks at what some education experts say has the biggest impact on a child's academic success.
Scheduling snafu: An open house at Olsen Middle School in Dania Beach leaves parents and students waiting long hours in line to fix class schedules. Miami Herald.
Special needs: Unicorn Village Academy opens in West Boca and caters to students with autism and other learning differences. Sun Sentinel. Federal funding cuts hit home for Polk County's ESE students. The Ledger.
Bus battle: A blind Lake County mom wins her battle to get her visually impaired 5-year-old son on a bus to his district school. Orlando Sentinel.
International learning: Students from China are attending the Community School of Naples in Lee County, part of an international education program. Naples Daily News.
School security: Hillsborough County students and parents are greeted with tightened security as they head back to class, with controlled access about to be the norm at all 215 district schools. The Tampa Tribune.
Conduct: Manatee County Superintendent Rick Mills says the district still does not have a plan to replace three assistant principals charged with felonies in a recent investigation. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
Libraries: Five Miami-Dade County technical school libraries will open to the public starting the first day of school to offset expected budget cuts. Miami Herald.
Back pay: An arbitrator tells the Broward school district it owes high school teachers hours of back pay for teaching an additional class period last school year. Sun Sentinel.
Higher ed: Florida’s next higher education Chancellor will inherit a job that requires a soft touch, keen political savvy and the dexterity to manage many bosses. Miami Herald.
Tony Bennett: His last-minute changes to Indiana's school grading formula benefitted 165 Indiana schools. StateImpact Florida.
School support: Hernando County parents support Eastside Elementary as it works to improve its F grade from the state this year. Tampa Bay Times.
Teachers: StateImpact Florida looks at why teachers leave the classroom.
Business help: Polk County schools Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy pushes businesses to get involved with improving district schools. The Ledger.
School board: Former Duval County School Board member Betty Burney is cleared from any wrongdoing in a vote benefitting a company that once employed her sister. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
Report cards: Palm Beach County second-graders won't see traditional A-F grades on report cards this year as the district moves toward a standard-based system. Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools: There are already 40 charter schools in Palm Beach County, serving 12,000 students, with another 11 set to open this fall. Palm Beach Post.
More magnets: Palm Beach County school board members want more arts high school and middle school magnet programs. Palm Beach Post.
Tony Bennett: Indiana school officials continue to investigate school grading manipulation that could result in changes to that state's system created by Tony Bennett. Associated Press.
Back to school: One of Central Florida's largest back-to-school events, which has drawn 30,000 people, will be held this year at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando Sentinel.
FCAT: "Don't, don't, don't focus on the FCAT," Pasco County schools Superintendent Kurt Browning tells the staff at Lacoochee Elementary, a D school tapped by the state for a turnaround. "I don't care about FCAT. I don't." Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher conduct: A special-education specialist fired for her role in a high-profile scandal is reinstated by the Miami-Dade School Board. Miami Herald. Another Manatee County school administrator is placed on paid leave during an ongoing investigation into a former football coach accused of groping students. The Tampa Tribune. More from the Bradenton Herald.
Library cuts: The Miami-Dade School Board may open some of the district’s libraries after hours to offset the closure of some 14 facilities. Miami Herald. (more…)
Common Core: Protesters gather at a Broward County School Board meeting to show they don't support the new Common Core education standards. Miami Herald. State Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, organizes a panel to talk about education reform and Common Core. Florida Times-Union. Step Up For Students' vice president of student learning talks about why private schools are signing on for the measures. Education Week.
Bennett and school grades: Former Florida Sen. Paula Dockery shares her thoughts about Tony Bennett and school grades, asking "Isn't it time for an honest conversation on doing away with a school-grading system that is costly, divisive and unreliable?'' The Ledger.
Conduct: A Rodgers Middle School assistant principal fights for his job after the Hillsborough County school district fired him following the death of a special-needs student at his school. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.
Debit cards: Leon County joins other school districts that won't be offering teacher debit cards issued by Gov. Scott. Tallahassee Democrat.
Extended day: Broward County joins the list of districts where low-performing schools will offer students an additional hour of class time. Sun Sentinel. Palm Beach County will spend $7 million to add an hour to the school day at four low-performing schools. Palm Beach Post.
School funding: The half-cent sales tax is the only funding source the district has for capital projects, writes Shannon Nickinson for the Pensacola News Journal.
Charter schools: Pasco County gets its first virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy of Pasco. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
