Magnet schools. Miami-Dade schools unveil a new planetarium to coincide with the debut of a new astronomy magnet program. Miami Herald. WSVN. More on the district's new school choice plans from the Herald.
Testing. Teachers are nervous about the challenges of preparing students for new standards and assessments. Tampa Bay Times. The new tests are expected to be longer and more difficult. Sun-Sentinel. Common Core lessons are tougher, but students are starting to rise to the challenge. Orlando Sentinel. What will lawmakers do about state testing? StateImpact explores.
School choice. Duval parents learn about district choice options during a public expo. Florida Times-Union.
Special needs. A new program in Volusia helps special needs students participate in sports. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Hillsborough schools recruit teachers with non-traditional backgrounds to teach special needs students. Tampa Tribune.
Community schools. Evans High School has improved results since it started offering tutoring, medical care and other services to students in its low-income neighborhood, Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab writes.
Tutoring. Lee County schools plan to drop free after-school tutoring in favor of a new summer program. Fort Myers News-Press.
Superintendents. Community leaders in Palm Beach hope the coming search for a new schools chief goes better than previous attempts. Palm Beach Post. An activist accused of extorting the Palm Beach superintendent faces additional charges. Sun-Sentinel.
Teacher evaluations. Hillsborough teachers say they should have had more input in developing the district's rating system. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools. Excel Leadership Academy in West Palm Beach makes its case to stay open before an administrative law judge, reports Extra Credit. The Daytona Beach News Journal looks at a struggling charter in Flagler.
Virtual schools. The Palm Beach Post looks at the potential financial hit to Florida Virtual School from recent legislative changes. Education Week offers a short write-up on Florida's online expansion.
School rankings. Take some with a grain of salt, some with a truckload, writes Matt Di Carlo at the Shanker Blog. Three Marion high schools are among the best in U.S. News & World Report, reports the Ocala Star Banner.
School closures. Dozens rally against proposed closures in Brevard. Florida Today.
School spending. Increased funding from the Legislature still may not be enough to get Marion out of a hole, reports the Ocala Star Banner. The school board in financially troubled Manatee takes a closer-than-usual look at contracts and spending, reports the Bradenton Herald.
Teacher evals. The Quick & The Ed offers a legal analysis of the recently filed lawsuit. (more…)
School choice. Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning says the district's record in providing more school choice has been "abysmal." Gradebook.
Charter schools. The principal of a YMCA charter in Venice is put on leave for undisclosed reasons. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
School turnarounds. Seven teachers who applied to keep their jobs at struggling Lacoochee Elementary in Pasco are not selected. Tampa Bay Times.
School rankings. Newsweek says 115 of the nation's 2,000 best high schools, including five of the Top 20, are in Florida. StateImpact Florida. Nine Volusia schools make the list, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal.
School spending. Miami Herald: "On Wednesday, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to explore the establishment of a trademark and licensing program that would create official district merchandise and at the same time outlaw pirate products." The Lake County School Board looks at a slew of cuts to close a $16 million budget deficit, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The Marion school board rejects pay raises for teachers and paraprofessionals through the end of this year, reports the Ocala Star Banner.
Legislative wrap-up. Parent trigger aside, Patricia Levesque sees a lot of positive changes. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
