Charter schools. Abrupt failures of two charter schools take students and teachers by surprise. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. WESH. Central Florida News 13. Testing. Hillsborough schools officials explain why they aren’t as quick to cut back on testing as some other districts. Gradebook. What happens when there’s a testing mishap? Leesburg[Read More…]
Tag: Race to the Top
Three Florida districts chosen for charter school collaboration grants
Florida’s two largest school districts could soon be searching for charter schools looking to serve their most disadvantaged neighborhoods. The state Department of Education has chosen three school districts, including Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, to receive grants intended to entice more national charter school networks to open in Florida’s academically struggling urban areas[Read More…]
States continue increasing or eliminating caps on charter schools
In the past three years, 18 states have lifted caps on the number of charters schools allowed, another sign that lawmakers are embracing charters as valuable options in public education. “I think there’s a growing recognition from state policymakers that charter schools are one of the pieces of the puzzle[Read More…]
Terry Moe: Dilemma of teacher union power won’t go away
Editor’s note: This is the first of four guest posts on the future of teachers unions. At the heart of any discussion of the unions’ role in American education, whether that role is now or in the future, lies a fundamental dilemma. On the one hand, it is clear that[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Charter schools, competition, district spending & more
Charter schools. The Tampa Tribune writes up the latest report on charter laws from the National Association of Public Charter Schools and quotes Robert Haag, president and CEO of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools: “You want choices for your child’s education, just like anything else in life. You[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Common Core, high school MOOCs, Ghost of Education Past …
Common Core: There is general acceptance among teachers, teachers unions and politicians in Florida that Common Core is a good thing, but questions remain about testing and funding, the Associated Press reports. Next big step. President Obama can build on Common Core by creating another Race to the Top competition,[Read More…]
Florida roundup: FCAT, vouchers, charters, no more Flori-duh & more
On top of the world. Gov. Rick Scott calls the PIRLS results (an international assessment that shows Florida fourth-graders are second only to their peers in Hong Kong in reading) “great news for Florida as our state becomes a hub for global commerce.” Jeb Bush says Florida students are “again busting[Read More…]
Florida roundup: Education summit, teacher evaluations, grad rates & more
Jeb summit coverage. Education Week: Jeb Bush urges reformers to stay the course. More from ABC News/Univision, Washington Times, National Journal, Herald-Tribune. Bush’s remarks on C-SPAN here. For the most complete summit coverage, check back at redefinED and/or follow us @redefinedonline. Teacher evaluations. Under the new system, the vast majority of[Read More…]