Charter schools. Why do parents choose charter schools? Why do teachers choose to work in them? The Tampa Bay Times interviews a principal. Hillsborough school board candidates are divided on charter school issues. Tampa Bay Times. The Florida Times-Union looks at Duval charter schools' audits.
Magnet schools. The Miami Herald profiles a principal at Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy.
Opt-out. The Sun-Sentinel has the latest on the controversy over whether some third graders, whose parents opted them out of state assessments, may be retained.
STEM. A South Florida science teacher follows in her father's footsteps. Miami Herald. What would happen if former Gov. Jeb Bush took up the cause of STEM excellence? Bridge to Tomorrow.
Testing. Polk teachers examine district end-of-year exams. Lakeland Ledger.
Diversity. Collier County principals don't reflect the diversity of the district's students, the NAACP argues. Naples Daily News. (more…)
Charter schools. Orange County approves three charter schools, but rejects two. Orlando Sentinel. Charter school group Academica is rebuffed in an effort to open a school in Colorado. Aurora Sentinel. A Palm Beach virtual charter school leader is accused of steering money to his own company. Palm Beach Post. Indian River school board members reject charter applications. Indian River Press Journal. Students at a Brevard charter grow their own lunches. Florida Today.
Special needs. New resources for special needs children are on both legislative leaders' agendas. News Service of Florida. Sunshine State News. redefinED.
Budgets. Pasco sales tax revenue climbs. Gradebook.
Testing. Opt-out organizers see an opportunity in recent testing controversies. Gradebook.
Acceptance. A "gender-neutral" student is sent home for wearing a dress to school, sparking a movement against bullying and intolerance. Tallahassee Democrat.
Common Core. Hernando parents demand changes to the district's new curriculum. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. The cyberattack on state testing systems remains under investigation. Associated Press. Florida's ACT scores rise but still trail the rest of the country. School Zone. Mother Jones profiles an Orlando teen who opted out of state testing.
Charter schools. State Rep. Erik Fresen talks reform with the Broward County School Board. Sun-Sentinel. A troubled Brevard charter school faces a 90-day ultimatum. Florida Today. Bay schools reach transportation agreements with a local charter school network. Panama City News Herald.
Rankings. Miami-Dade magnet and charter schools earn top marks from Newsweek. Miami Herald.
Failure factories. The community addresses a recent Tampa Bay Times investigation during a school board meeting.
Growth. Pasco public school enrollment jumps, surprising officials in some areas. Gradebook.
Back to school. Hillsborough, Lee and Manatee students return. Tampa Bay Times. Naples Daily News. Bradenton Herald.
Discipline. A Hillsborough middle school cuts back on out-of-school suspensions. Tampa Tribune. Black students face disproportionate punishment. School Zone. (more…)
Charter schools. Florida gets good marks for its charter school policies (and its teacher pension system). Gradebook. Charter Schools USA is growing as a company. Sun-Sentinel.
State chiefs. Turnover is on the rise at the top of state education departments around the country, and Florida has recently been no exception. Education Week.
School choice. The Daily Caller and Watchdog.org take new looks at Florida's most recent school choice legislation and programs. Naples celebrates School Choice Week. Naples Daily News.
Testing. Opting out is not an option in Florida. Florida Today. The Pinellas school board joins the chorus calling for state testing changes. Tampa Bay Times.
Finance. The Lee County School Board plans a tax referendum to finance the construction of new schools. Fort Myers News-Press. The Broward school board approves a panel to oversee spending of the proceeds of a bond referendum. Sun-Sentinel. Polk's bond rating improves. Lakeland Ledger.
Special needs. Specialized library programs help children with autism. Orlando Sentinel.
Superintendents. The Palm Beach superintendent saga continues, as Wayne Gent is named a finalist for the top job in a nearby district. Palm Beach Post. More from the Post here and here. Volusia's superintendent retires ahead of schedule. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
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. 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.
