School technology. StateImpact Florida takes a look at the One Laptop Per Child program.

Accelerated classes. In Pasco, enrollment is climbing fast in AP, IB and dual enrollment. Tampa Bay Times.

FCAT. Gains not as good as they sound, writes Shanker Blog. Three Pinellas elementary schools have among the worst math scores in the state, reports Gradebook.

Parent trigger. A distraction and faddish. Sherman Dorn.

Superintendents. The new Lee super is Naples High Principal Nancy Graham, but it's not clear whether she's temporary, reports the Naples Daily News. Tony Bennett's a fan of Pinellas' Mike Grego, reports Gradebook.

Ed summit. Speaking of Grego, he's among the speakers at the Florida Sterling Council's annual summit. StateImpact Florida.

Gifted students. Pinellas is eliminating programs for gifted students at a few schools in lieu of offering gifted services at all elementary schools. Tampa Bay Times.

School spending. Broward gets no legislative funding help for its technology and building needs, reports the Miami Herald. More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Broward wants to charge a developer $3.6 million in impact fees for four students, the Sun Sentinel also reports. (more…)

FCAT. FCAT writing scores up. FCAT reading and math scores flat. Miami Herald. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Times Union. StateImpact Florida. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Associated Press. Naples Daily News. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald Tribune. Pensacola News Journal. Tallahassee Democrat. Panama City News Herald. StateImpact has more from Education Commissioner Tony Bennett.

FCAT success. How a Tampa elementary magnet school got traction. Gradebook.

FCAT retakes. Daytona Beach News Journal.

Vals and sals. Backlash is growing to Hernando's decision to ban vals and sals. Gradebook.

Nerds. Spelling bee champ Nupur Lala of Tampa helped make nerdy cool. Associated Press.

Turnaround schools. Hillsborough is proactive about trying to spark them. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher training. The Hechinger Report uses Florida to base a story about reformers' aims with teacher training and recruitment. (more…)

Tony Bennett. Interview with Alexander Russo.

School choice. Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning is forming a high-level task force to examine expansion of district options, reports Gradebook. Miami-Dade is planning to expand its partnership with the academically rigorous Cambridge program from 20 programs in 16 schools to 100 programs in 86, reports the Miami Herald.

Charter schools. Manatee district officials stress the downside to parents considering the conversion of a magnet school to a charter school, reports the Bradenton Herald. More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune. A proposed Somerset Academy charter school, initially shot down by the Palmetto Bay Village Council, will be reconsidered. Miami Herald.

School spending. Florida ranks among the lowest per-pupil. StateImpact Florida. Associated Press.

School grading. Maine, don't hide your problems. EdFly Blog. Here's the message a second time, from former Board of Education Chairmen Phil Handy and T. Willard Fair in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News.

School security. Wellington High in Palm Beach County bans backpacks in the wake of an alleged bomb threat, reports the Palm Beach Post. Orange will begin screening students with metal detectors after a high school student is arrested with a loaded gun in his backpack, reports the Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Rick Scott. Gov. Rick Scott vetoes about $400 million in spending and a proposed tuition hike, reports the Associated Press and South Florida Sun Sentinel. (Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson gives him a thumbs up.) Vetoes other ed-related items, reports StateImpact Florida. Vetoes $1.5 million for a STEM project in Pasco, reports Gradebook. Vetoes $14 million for a new building at Gulf Coast State College, reports the Panama City News Herald. Vetoes a $7.5 million "innovation hub" at Florida Gulf Coast University, reports the Naples Daily News. Doesn't veto a wind tunnel at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Dual enrollment. Gov. Scott signs into law a measure that requires districts to pick up the cost. Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher merit pay. Pinellas is about to roll out a pilot at seven schools. Gradebook.

Teachers unions. A glimpse at the financial picture for United Teachers of Dade. Intercepts.

Ed schools. The Hechinger Report uses the University of Central Florida as the lead for a story about more scrutiny and accountability coming to colleges of ed.

School spending. Projected layoffs reach 282 in Manatee, including 182 teachers, reports the Bradenton Herrald. About 100 rally to show support for the teachers, the Herald also reports. More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune. (more…)

Teachers unions. The rise of Fedrick Ingram, new president of the the Miami-Dade teachers union. Miami Herald.

Teacher conduct. Ocala Star Banner: "Teacher suspended for bonk with a banana."

Dual enrollment. A mandate that school districts pick up the tab for dual enrollment students is putting districts in a tough spot. Fort Myers News Press.

Rick Scott. Gov. Rick Scott must decide on several high-profile education issues, including virtual school funding and the future of state-mandated tutoring for low-income students, reports News Service of Florida. He's going to veto a proposed tuition hike, reports the Times/Herald.

School atmosphere. A Palm Beach County School District investigation finds an elementary school torn apart by a feud between the principal and a school board member, reports the Palm Beach Post. The Florida Commission on Ethics dismisses two complaints against the board member, including one filed by the principal, the Post also reports.

Bullying. State officials work with the Walton County school district to combat bullying, reports the Northwest Florida Daily News. Pasco Superintendent writes in this op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times that bullying prevention is a moral imperative.

School closings. Citing cost concerns, Manatee plans to close a small high school for struggling students. Bradenton Herald. (more…)

Private schools. The principal of Seminole High in Pinellas is leaving to take the top job at Indian Rocks Christian. Gradebook.

Charter schools. Funding for charters, vouchers and tax credit scholarships figure into Duval's budget considerations. First Coast News.

Kiera Wilmot. Mom: "We've been a living a nightmare." Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher unions. FEA files a motion for rehearing on dismissed SB 736 suit, reports Gradebook. Fedrick Ingram, the new president of the Miami-Dade teacher union, is sworn in, reports the Miami Herald.

Teacher conduct. The Broward County school district should have stopped a middle school teacher from having sex with one of her students, the victim's family alleges in a lawsuit. Miami Herald.

Teacher pay. The Tallahassee Democrat follows the email trail between the FEA and Gov. Rick Scott's office over the shape of teacher pay raises in the waning days of the legislative session. (more…)

Kiera Wilmot. Prosecutors won't file criminal charges against Kiera Wilmot, the Polk County student who has become a cause celebre after igniting a small chemical explosion on school grounds, reports the Lakeland Ledger. Beth Kassab says the arrest took things way too far. In the aftermath, neighboring Orange will get clarification on its zero tolerance policies, reports SchoolZone. Huffington Post op-ed: "Five ways to stop a black scientist."

Online learning. Privatization, everywhere. Bradenton Herald.

School choice. A private transportation option - at $1,350 annually per student - has emerged for students in Brevard's district choice schools, reports Florida Today.  The Palm Beach County school board is urged to move ahead with plans to create an all-boys middle school, reports the Palm Beach Post.

School administration. Pinellas Superintendent Mike Grego shuffles the team at the top. Gradebook.

School uniforms. The Volusia school board plans to again discuss the possibility - for students and teachers. Daytona Beach News Journal. (more…)

Teacher evals. Governing looks at whether teachers unions in other states will file suits similar to Florida's.

Teacher conduct. A veteran Broward County teacher is suspended for 13 days without pay for allowing an "overly permissive" classroom environment in which, among other things, she talked about her sex life. Her reassignment to a school for at-risk kids prompted a board member to ask, "How long are we going to continue to pay people to fail kids?” Miami Herald.

School spending.  Hernando projects a $4 million budget deficit, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas should be getting $37 million more next year, reports Gradebook. The Flagler school board considers cutting paraprofessionals in an effort to fill a budget gap, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. Broward is considering outsourcing its facilities department, reports the Miami Herald. The Volusia school board votes to outsource custodial services for an estimated savings of $30 million over five years, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. The Miami-Dade district auditor says a health care firm may have overbilled the district more than $1 million, the Herald also reports.

School choice. Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning talks about expanding district choices. Tampa Tribune.

Rick Scott. The Republican Party of Florida unveils two ads supporting Gov. Rick Scott's education record. StateImpact Florida.

Jeb Bush. The next Foundation for Excellence in Education summit will be in Boston in October. EdFly Blog. (more…)

Charter schools. The principal of an Imagine charter school that tried to separate from the parent company will leave at the end of the school year, and the school will remain with Imagine, according to a settlement deal, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune. The Miami-Dade School Board approves contracts for a Somerset Academy charter school despite objections from neighbors, reports the Miami Herald.

Common Core. Teachers will learn more about it in summer school. StateImpact Florida.

Teacher conduct. Coach, porn. Tampa Tribune.

Tutor conduct. Frank Cerabino on the math tutor/former porn guy.

Teacher evaluations. The new evals may be legal "but they're still absurd." Palm Beach Post.

Teacher pay. Teacher's aides in Sarasota County wonder if they'll get raises too. Sarasota Herald Tribune.

School turnarounds. Pinellas advertises for teachers at F-rated Maximo Elementary. Gradebook. (more…)

Charter schools. An arts magnet in Manatee considers converting to a charter school because of the district's ongoing financial woes. Bradenton Herald.

Common Core. Hillsborough school board members voice all kinds of concerns about Common Core. Tampa Bay Times.

Tony Bennett. StateImpact Florida gives ink to anonymous, garden variety critics.

Teacher pay. Rick Scott's teacher pay raise tour continues, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Volusia teachers will probably get less than the $2,500 Scott pitched, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Teacher Appreciation Week. South Florida Sun Sentinel takes note.

School spending. Budget cuts in Pasco look bigger than anticipated, reports Gradebook. The school board responds by cutting all literacy coaches and media specialists, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The Flagler school board debates potential  cuts, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. (more…)