No homework: Mandatory homework is out at Henry S. West Laboratory School, a public K-8 in Coral Gables. School officials say students will no longer be graded on homework or penalized if they don't finish the optional assignments. Principal Barbara Soto Pujadas says the school's families are overstressed and overscheduled. Miami Herald.

Neighborhood schools: The concept of neighborhood schools is shrinking, as school choice, magnet schools and charter schools give students and their parents more options than the school around the corner. More than 130,000 south Florida students are now in charter schools, which is double the number from a decade ago. And next year, parents can send their children to any public school in the state that has space available. Sun-Sentinel.

Recess for schools: Duval County parents start a petition drive to have 20 minutes of recess every day in every elementary school in the county. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is resisting, saying he doesn't want to force the requirement on teachers even as he is encouraging them to accept research that says students do better academically if they get free time. Florida Times-Union. Associated Press. (more…)