Sparking the evolution of education choice
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.[Read More…]
Parent trigger. Joe Henderson from the Tampa Tribune on parent trigger: “In my opinion, it started from the flawed premise that it’s always the institution’s fault when a school fails.” Tallahassee Democrat: “What we don’t need is to have for-profit corporations lobbying parents to shut down or privatize a public school.” The[Read More…]
Next steps. Florida should adopt parent triggers and education savings accounts to keep the reform momentum going, writes William Mattox at the James Madison Institute. Florida Voices. More on teacher raises. Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal is “long overdue,” writes the Miami Herald. Teachers deserve it, writes the Tampa Tribune. Agreed, writes the Florida[Read More…]
Teacher pay. Gov. Rick Scott says he wants to set aside enough money in this year’s budget to give every district teacher a $2,500 raise. Coverage from Tampa Bay Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Naples Daily News, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Associated Press, Tallahassee Democrat, Pensacola News Journal. Politics and poll numbers[Read More…]
New Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett offered more hints Wednesday that he is not satisfied with the current accountability framework for Florida private schools that accept students with vouchers and tax credit scholarships. Making his first appearance before the Senate Education Committee, Bennett was asked by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, for[Read More…]
School safety. Superintendents and lawmakers talk about more funding for more security. Coverage from Gradebook, St. Augustine Record, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Daytona Beach News Journal. Some are worried about “open campuses,” reports SchoolZone. A bill is filed that would require private schools to get safety alerts, just like public schools,[Read More…]
Tony Bennett. On his first day on the job, he meets with superintendents and the Florida Association of District Administrators and says he is an “unapologetic advocate for school choice,” reports the Tallahassee Democrat. More from The Buzz. His first comments on the “Commissioner’s Blog” here. Interview with StateImpact Florida.[Read More…]
In an interview published this morning, incoming Florida education commissioner Tony Bennett tells Rick Hess that Gov. Rick Scott gave him two priorities: implementation of Common Core and Senate Bill 736. The latter is the law, signed by Scott last year, that makes sweeping changes to how Florida teachers are[Read More…]
