Three large school districts along Florida’s I-4 corridor are angling for grants that could help them draw nationally recognized charter school networks to low-income neighborhoods. The Orange, Polk and Hillsborough County school districts applied this month for $2.5 million in funding from round two of the Florida Department of Education’s district-charter collaboration program.[Read More…]
Tag: Polk County School District
Florida roundup: Tax credit scholarships, state chiefs, testing and more
Tax credit scholarships. The program does not harm public education, a former Department of Juvenile Justice head writes in the Tampa Bay Times. Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog and employs the author of this post, helps administer the program. Testing, Palm Beach school officials call on Gov.[Read More…]
Florida roundup: School choice, charter schools, Common Core and more
School choice. In an editorial, the Florida Times-Union criticizes the way school choice legislation passed this year, but also argues school districts should offer students more options. The Pinellas school board agrees to expand its magnet offerings but shelves a plan to add more fundamental schools. Tampa Bay Times. A[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Nation’s report card, turnarounds, transportation and more
Nation’s report card. The latest grades for America’s high school seniors are “dismal.” Associated Press. Scores are largely flat in Florida, too. RedefinED. More from the Sun-Sentinel and StateImpact. Personal learning accounts. A new Florida program could be the state of the art in parental choice, Matthew Ladner writes for the EdFly. Tax[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Class size, catholic schools, tax credit scholarships and more
Class size. Duval County schools could achieve more flexibility by designating more “schools of choice.” Florida Times-Union. Catholic schools. A Tampa Catholic school is back “in the black.” Tampa Tribune. Citrus County parents hope to get their school there, too. RedefinED. Tax credit scholarships. Parents should have more options, one parent writes in[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Charter schools, testing, teachers unions and more
Charter schools. More could be closing in Broward. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald. Tax credit scholarships. Did top Step Up For Students officials need to register as lobbyists? Times/Herald. (Step Up co-hosts this blog.) Testing. Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart picks AIR to develop the new wave of tests[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Common Core, testing, tax credit scholarships & more
Tax credit scholarships. House Speaker Will Weatherford and Americans for Prosperity tout the proposed program expansion (among other non-education-related issues) before the start of the session. Orlando Sentinel. Gets a mention in The Florida Current and Sunshine State News, too. Also gets a mention in this Times/Herald story, which oddly refers[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Common Core, Florida Virtual School, mold & more
Common Core. Common Core opponents begin airing radio ads. Orlando Sentinel. Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School adds some adult classes. Daytona Beach News Journal. School choice. Application period for district choice programs in Pinellas begins Wednesday. Gradeboook. School spending. Mo money, mo problems? Gradebook. School boards. Politicking in Pasco. Gradebook. School diversity.[Read More…]