Middle schools. Choice options - including charter schools that compete with the district's offerings - come into play as Duval officials rethink their approach to middle school. Florida Times-Union. Hernando County plans to start a new academy for middle-school students who are falling behind. Tampa Bay Times. A military academy aimed at middle school students is close to its enrollment goal. Ocala Star-Banner.
Magnet schools. A science academy teachers youngsters about marine life during trips down the St. Johns River. Florida Times-Union. Graduation marks the end of a difficult year for a Palm Beach County magnet program. Palm Beach Post. A Palm Beach high school is offering space for students who could not find space in the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, the Post reports.
Charter schools. A charter school for students with autism leaves the school district behind and hopes to join forces with a nearby private school. Gradebook.
Alternative schools. The Orange and Seminole County school districts both plan to create new options for students who fall behind in high school. Orlando Sentinel.
Unions. The Florida Education Association endorses Charlie Crist for governor. Sunshine State News. The Pasco teachers union negotiates planning time with the school district. Tampa Bay Times. The Brevard teachers union stakes out positions on a range of statewide issues but has yet to take a position on a local school tax. Florida Today.
Funding. Some advocates are calling for a revamp of the formula used to distribute education funding to school districts. WTSP. School districts worry funding increases might not keep pace with spending demands. Tampa Tribune.
Legislature. StateImpact reviews the legislative session and talks about parental choice legislation with Senate Education Chairman John Legg.
Private schools. A man hopes to open a small private school to better meet the needs of some children. South Florida Times.
Common Core. The Miami Herald captures Gov. Rick Scott on video as he explains his stance on the standards to a crowd of protestors.
Teachers. Pinellas County public school teachers feel they are over-worked and students are over-tested. Tampa Tribune. Several Broward and Palm Beach County teachers face state discipline. Sun-Sentinel.
Budgets. Palm Beach County school district is projecting a budget shortfall. Extra Credit. School board members worry a last-minute budget blitz in the waning days of the legislative session could backfire politically. Extra Credit. Pasco's superintendent plans to start re-investing in school staffs. Tampa Bay Times. Collier County schools expect to dip into their reserves. Naples Daily News.
Special needs. Exceptional students in Jacksonville – including those who attends Christian schools – learn about art at a local museum. Florida Times-Union. A program helps them prepare for careers. Naples Daily News.
School district employees. Palm Beach County's internal schools watchdog is accused of retaliation. Sun-Sentinel. A former Manatee school board attorney is feuding with the district. Bradenton Herald. A former Manatee High employee said her firing was a case of retaliation. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Facilities. A Pinellas County high school is set to be torn down and rebuilt. Tampa Bay Times.
STEM. Middle schoolers learn about DNA. Bradenton Herald.
Moms. Hernando County graders read mothers-day poetry. Tampa Bay Times.
Lunch. Manatee County's district food and nutritional director receives national recognition. Bradenton Herald.
Tax credit scholarships. Parents of children who receive scholarships answer critics in the Florida Times-Union and the Ocala Star-Banner. The program enhances public education, Doug Tuthill writes in the Miami Herald. He is the president of Step Up for Students, which co-hosts this blog. The president of the Alachua County League of Women Voters criticizes charters and vouchers in the Gainesville Sun. A school board member also criticizes tax credit scholarships in the Sun, focusing on religious education. State standardized testing requirements won't appease all critics, but they might help the program in the long run, Paul Cottle writes at Bridge to Tomorrow.
School choice. Private and charter schools compete with magnet and career education programs in Palm Beach County, fueling a drive to create new options. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. Hillsborough officials are scrutinizing the boards that oversee schools managed by Charter Schools USA as lawmakers debate charter legislation. Tampa Tribune. The management group Academica faces federal scrutiny. Miami Herald. The Volusia County school district prepares to end a long legal battle with a failed charter school. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Dropout prevention. Pinellas schools plan a new alternative school aimed at at-risk students. Tampa Tribune.
Digital learning. Replacing old computers won't be cheap for Marion County schools. Ocala Star-Banner. Technology helps a Southwest Florida teacher enhance instruction. Naples Daily News.
Discipline. Kindergarten students face increased suspensions, which disproportionately affect minorities. Florida Times-Union.
Testing. A computer glitch affects FCAT administration in Miami-Dade schools. Miami Herald. A group of parents and teachers protests high-stakes testing. Fort Myers News-Press. Even at the height of FCAT season, educators say kids need a chance to get outside and play. Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher quality. The Duval County school district announces a incentive program to bring more teachers into high-needs areas. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. First Coast News.
Charter schools. A Broward charter once on the verge of closing can stay open after finding a permanent home. Sun-Sentinel. A former astronaut addresses students at three Lake Wales charter schools. Lakeland Ledger.
Vouchers. A poll commissioned by Sunshine State News finds voters do not support using "taxpayer funds" for scholarships that allow low-income students to attend private schools.
Magnet schools. A Hernando County magnet program uses field trips to teach kids about environmental science. Tampa Bay Times.
Career education. Pinellas schools name a new director. Gradebook. Clay County grows its career academies. WJXT.
Facilities: Business groups back a half-cent sales tax for school construction and technology in Volusia. Daytona Beach News-Journal. After a $55 million renovation, a Miami high school is being rededicated as a "palace of learning." Miami Herald.
Early learning. A change of providers in Duval County means Head Start teachers will have to reapply for their jobs. Florida Times-Union.
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. Legislation is on the move. Palm Beach Post. Florida Current.
Tax-credit scholarships. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich opposes the program, while primary favorite Charlie Crist does not take a firm stance on legislation that would expand it. Sunshine State News. Politico mentions Florida's program in a broadside about public money going to religious schools. Responses from Eduwonk and the National Review.
Open enrollment. The move could give Duval schools officials more breathing room under state class-size rules. Florida Times-Union.
School grades. An overhaul heads to the House floor. News Service of Florida. Gradebook.
Testing. New end-of-course exam requirements prompt Orange County schools officials to cut electives. Orlando Sentinel. Common Core opponents' claims rate Half True. PolitiFact.
Parent involvement. Members of Pinellas County's "parent leadership cadre" are happy with their district. Gradebook.
Labor news. Pinellas County Schools prepares to cut teacher positions. Gradebook. Walton County teachers resume pay negotiations. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Student activities. It's hard work becoming a spelling bee champion. Florida Today. Tallahassee's Chiles High School wins its second-straight Brain Bowl title. Tallahassee Democrat.
Tax credit scholarships. The Tampa Tribune comes down in favor of the expansion bill. The testing issue for tax credit scholarships is complicated. Gradebook. As she has many times before, Jacksonville's Julie Delegal says valid comparisons to public school students can't be made when tax credit scholarship students take similar but not the same standardized tests. Florida Today. GTN TV does a story on the bill. So does Watchdog.org. News Service of Florida asks Gov. Rick Scott about what he said last year regarding scholarship students and testing. (The scholarship program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
Charter schools. A Q&A with the new principal of the University Prep charter school in St. Petersburg. Tampa Bay Times. WMNF's "Urban Cafe" show interview the principal of Seminole Heights High School, a charter school for 16- to 21-year-old males who want a "fresh chance" at earning a high school diploma. (Starts about the 8 minute mark.) A Palm Beach County School Board member suggests a multi-million dollar marketing campaign to stem the tide of students leaving for charter schools. Palm Beach Post.
Common Core. Despite claims, many textbooks are NOT aligned to Common Core. Tampa Bay Times. Common Core standards are in use in art classes, too. Tampa Tribune. How the Common Core rollout is going in Florida middle schools. StateImpact Florida.
Pre-K. Kids who participate are more ready for kindergarten than those who don't. School Zone.
School choice. Parents, choose carefully. Tampa Bay Times. Probably better, for now, that the Palm Beach County school district expand its existing choice programs rather than go to "full" district choice. Palm Beach Post.
Parents. They must be challenged to help, early and often. Pensacola News Journal.
Accountability. EdWeek logs in Sen. Bill Montford's "pause" bill.
Teacher evals. VAM scores could lead to unfair ratings. Florida Times Union. The state should chuck its eval system and let districts come up with something better. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. Some teachers didn't appreciate the ed commish's letter on testing for special needs students. Gradebook. Conflict between FCAT and Passover. Gainesville Sun. (more…)
Tax credit scholarships. On his blog The Fine Print, the AP's Gary Fineout lists the "voucher" testing debate as one of the five biggest questions of the session. The Times/Herald takes a look at the "powerful political forces" supporting school choice scholarships. (The tax credit scholarships program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
School choice. Palm Beach County School District considers expanding district choice. Palm Beach Post. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Teacher unions. StateImpact Florida talks with FEA President Andy Ford about this year's legislative priorities.
Teacher conduct. A former Pinellas high school teacher is sentenced to three years in prison for having sex with a 16-year-old student. Tampa Tribune. Bradenton police are investigations accusations that a Manatee County School District middle school PE coach inappropriately touched female students. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Testing. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano both praises and pans Education Commissioner Pam Stewart's position on testing students with disabilities. Big changes coming for the SAT. Associated Press. (more…)
Four Florida school districts again rank in the Top 25 big districts nationally when it comes to providing meaningful school choice, according to the latest annual report from the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution.
The Duval County and Miami-Dade County school districts tied at No. 13, the report says, while the Pinellas County School District comes in at No. 19. All three districts earned C+ grades. The Brevard County School District was one of eight Florida districts to earn a C, coming in at No. 22.
The rankings are based on 13 categories, including the breadth and quality of learning options, including charter schools, magnet schools and virtual courses, and the accessibility of private schools through vouchers and tax credit scholarships. The think tank also looked at how well districts close or restructure undersubscribed schools; if they provide comparative data to parents; and whether they provide transportation to choice schools. (See the scoring guide here.)
There wasn’t much fluctuation from last year’s rankings, when Miami-Dade came in No. 10. The Recovery School District in New Orleans was again No. 1 (with an A), followed by New York City (with an A-). Denver climbed from No. 24 to No. 5 after moving to a common application for all public schools, including charters.
In all, 14 Florida districts are on the list. Thirty-four districts nationwide received F grades, including Osceola in Central Florida. (See scoring for each district here.) (more…)
Virtual charter schools are ramping up in the Sunshine State with three Florida Virtual Academies expected to open next fall, bringing the total number of schools in the charter network to eight.
School boards in Clay, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties signed off on the academies last month. The schools will have local non-profit governing boards that partner with Virginia-based K12 Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of online education.
The concept of virtual charters was approved by the Florida Legislature in 2011, part of the Digital Learning Now Act that also required public high school students to take at least one online course. Also, state law requires larger districts to provide students with at least three options for virtual instruction, which include a district-run program; a franchise of Florida Virtual School or a contract with another online provider; or an agreement with another district, state college or virtual charter school.
Osceola County became home to the first Florida Virtual Academy charter school in 2012. Since then, other academies have gained approval in Duval, Broward, Pasco and Palm Beach counties.
"Many states have a variety of digital learning options, including district-based online programs, virtual charter schools, and other models," said K12 spokesman Jeff Kwitowski. "Each has its own characteristics and distinct offerings, giving families more options and choices.''
Miami-Dade County also has a virtual charter, Somerset Virtual Academy. The school, operated by Academica, a for-profit charter management company based in Florida, started enrolling students in grades 6-12 in August of 2012.
In Hillsborough, school officials unanimously approved the Florida Virtual Academy application. But they also expressed concern about how the K-12 virtual school would collaborate with the district’s own virtual academy, which also contracts with K12 Inc. for curriculum. District staff said details still must be settled, but recommended approval.
In Pinellas, where the board finalized its contract with the academy, debate among members centered on K12 Inc., according to The Tampa Tribune. (more…)
