School suspensions: Before this past school year started, Miami-Dade County School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that the district would eliminate out-of-school suspensions. It hasn't yet, but it has made significant headway, cutting those suspensions by 80 percent with a plan that includes in-class interventions focusing on at-risk students, changing the penalties for some infractions and training principals to change their approach to discipline. Miami Herald.

Charter schools: Parents of two charter schools facing termination reach out to Pinellas County School Superintendent Mike Grego with a proposal that Grego calls "reasonable." The deal would turn Windsor Preparatory Academy and East Windsor Middle Academy into magnet schools run by the district. The schools' board suggests staying in the current building, giving existing students a spot in the reconfigured schools, giving teachers first preference to be hired and keeping the board as advisers. The schools, which were run by the troubled Newpoint Education Partners, were given a notice of termination effective June 30. Gradebook.

Teacher bonuses: An administrative law judge rules that a Sarasota County school speech pathologist is eligible for the state's Best and Brightest teacher bonuses program. J. Bruce Culpepper says Cordelia Brown is an instructor at Brentwood Elementary School, and he interprets the state law to mean that all teachers are eligible. The district did not consider Brown to be a teacher. The recommendation now goes back to the Sarasota County School Board for a final decision. News Service of Florida. (more…)

Teaching Trump: A presidential election year provides civics teachers with plenty of instructional material. This year, the rise of Donald Trump as a Republican front-runner is both a bonanza and a challenge. Tampa Bay Times.

About that incomplete: When Florida school grades were issued Friday, 118 schools got "I" for incomplete. Department of Education officials say there are two reasons for a school to get an incomplete: Either it didn't have 95 percent of eligible students take the test, or there was some sort of testing impropriety. Gradebook.

Personalized learning: Lake County schools are experimenting with a personalized learning program that could expand around the state. Six districts nationally, including Lake and Pinellas counties in Florida, are involved in the pilot program. Orlando Sentinel.

Duval divisions: One Duval County School Board member is calling for another to resign over disparaging text messages made about Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. Jason Fischer says Constance Hall also insulted people with disabilities. Florida Times-Union.

Transgenders and bathrooms: The Sarasota County School Board will discuss whether to create a district policy on bathroom use by transgender students or allow schools to draft their own policies. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

School culture: Duval County teachers give the school district higher marks for the system's culture, training for standardized testing and teacher evaluations. The surveys are taken twice a year. Florida Times-Union. (more…)