NASHVILLE - This year's National Charter Schools Conference has been chock full of figures in the movement calling for improvement and introspection.

One of the most widely publicized calls came from U.S. Education Secretary John King, on the issue of school discipline.

King, who helped found Roxbury Preperatory Charter School in Boston, said children of color are more likely than their peers to be suspended or expelled, and this hampers their ability to succeed in schools. Charter schools, he said, are in a position to find better ways to close those gaps.

"Don’t get caught up in battles about whether charters are a little better or a little worse than average on discipline," he said. "Instead, focus on innovating to lead the way for the sake of our students."

He made a few ad libs that deviated from the published version of his speech.

This excerpt from his remarks, as delivered, makes all the more clear that for him, this issue is personal. (more…)

Charter schools should revamp their discipline practices to create better learning environments for "ALL students" — especially children with special needs, a range of education and civil rights advocates said today in a joint statement.

The groups, which include the main national charter school association, the association of charter school authorizers, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, and a legal advocacy group for special needs students — say they reject "a return to 'one-size-fits-all education'" but want charters to rein in suspensions and expulsions of children with learning disabilities and other special needs.

The public charter school sector has demonstrated great potential to create safe, caring and orderly schools that have good reason to be proud of the academic growth of their students. However, some charter schools are criticized for their student discipline practices — including suspension, expulsion, and other actions resulting in the removal of students from the classroom — that disproportionately exclude and impact students with disabilities.

Exclusion of students with disabilities, in particular those with emotional or behavioral disabilities, does not foster a positive school climate, nor does it help create the opportunity for a high quality education.  Sacrificing the educational welfare of some children to achieve the academic progress of others is the wrong paradigm: the academic success of all children should be our priority.

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Teachers. Either masochists or saints. StateImpact Florida.

Teacher conduct. The Gilchrist County teacher  of the  year is put on leave following allegations of inappropriate conduct with female students. Gainesville Sun.

Teacher pay. The chair of the Marion County School Board says 160 first-year teachers will be spared their jobs if all teachers forgo their state bonus money. Ocala Star Banner.

Teacher protest. Two Manatee High teachers unveil a mural replica of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" - their version made from garbage because the district did not have money for materials - to protest budget cuts. Bradenton Herald and Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Subs. Recent graduates from a Palm Beach County high school give back - by returning as substitute teachers. Palm Beach Post.

Charter schools. A struggling charter in Deland is fighting to stay open. Daytona Beach News Journal.

Common Core. Will Common Core state standards undermine school choice? Jay P. Greene: Yes. Checker Finn: No.

School spending. Small towns in Miami-Dade chip in to pay for a school nurse. Miami Herald.

School districts. Manatee is in a crisis "more dire than anticipated," new Superintendent Rick Mills says, according to the Bradenton Herald. District officials release an economic recovery plan, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune. (more…)

Teacher pay. Gov. Rick Scott embarks on his Teacher Pay Raise Pep Rally Tour. Coverage from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Florida Times Union, Associated Press, StateImpact Florida. Teachers are "fed up with being used as political pawns," says Pinellas teachers union president Kim Black in this Steve Bousquet piece.

Charter schools. Gradebook pulls up some stats before today's discussion about charter schools at the Pasco County School Board. An amendment to the charter school bill makes it easier for charter schools to fire teachers, Gradebook also reports.

School security. The elementary school principals in Hillsborough who have armed guards in their schools like them. Tampa Bay Times.

School discipline. Hillsborough needs to follow up on conversations to address high suspension rates for black males. Tampa Bay Times.

School spending. Freeze in financially troubled Manatee. Bradenton Herald. (more…)

Teacher evaluations. The NEA and FEA file a federal suit against the new teacher evaluations system in Florida. Coverage from the Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press, Times/Herald, Tallahassee Democrat, Gainesville Sun, Pensacola News Journal, Gradebook, Education Week, PolitiJax, State Impact Florida, New York Times, Answer Sheet. FEA statement here. Lawmakers need to fix glaring flaws, editorializes the Lakeland Ledger. The Miami-Dade system plows ahead with its own remedies, reports the Miami Herald. School districts around the state are cooperating more to create the hundreds of new tests needed for the teacher evaluations, reports the Tallahassee Democrat.

Tony Bennett. Indiana folks make up his inner circle at DOE. Gradebook.

Michelle Rhee. Michelle Rhee was in Tallahassee Monday, meeting with lawmakers. Naked Politics.

School choice. With rezoning issues out of the way, Bay County cranks up its district school choice process. WJHG.com.

Career education. A big hit in Okaloosa. Northwest Florida Daily News.

School spending. The state Board of Education is not happy after the Department of Education says it overestimated the budget request for new technology by $342 million, reports StateImpact Florida. The Pasco school board decides, for now, not to follow Superintendent Kurt Browning's proposal to cut media specialists and reading coaches, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The Sarasota board follows through on plans to cut media specialists, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune. (more…)

Charter schools. Brooksville's first charter school, one with a STEM focus, will open this fall, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Competition from charter schools is forcing the Palm Beach County school district to think harder about its needs and priorities, reports the Palm Beach Post. Charters are also sparking debate among Palm Beach school board members about how much help they should give struggling charters, the Post also reports. An op-ed in the Miami Herald raises concerns about charter schools' diversity and financial incentives. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune profiles the principal of the Imagine charter school that is trying to break free from the parent company.

Magnet schools. The Tampa Tribune applauds the Hillsborough school district for creating a magnet tied to the maritime industry.

Alternative schools. Troubled girls get a fresh start at a sheriffs' youth  ranch in Polk County. Orlando Sentinel.

Tax credit scholarships. Great back-and-forth between scholars Kevin Welner at NEPC and Jason Bedrick at Cato, with Florida's program a big part of their debate. Cato at Liberty.

School choice. It's often partisan. Sunshine State News.

Parent trigger. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett raises a constitutional question. The Florida Current. (more…)

Federal vouchers. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., proposes what may be the most sweeping school choice legislation in U.S. history - a federal tax credit scholarship program similar to the state program in Florida. redefinED. More from the Miami Herald.

Tutoring oversight. In response to a Tampa Bay Times investigation, Education Commissioner Tony Bennett promises to take steps to curb fraud and abuse in the state-mandated tutoring program.

Charter schools. The Pinellas school board votes to continue the closing process for the long-troubled Imagine charter school in St. Petersburg, despite more than 100 students showing their support for the school. Gradebook.

Exposed! The response. EdFly Blog notes what should have been in press reports - that In the Public Interest, the group that launched the latest Jeb Bush-corporate-cabal conspiracy theory, is run by Donald Cohen, the former political director of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO. (Gradebook, at least, did note the group's labor ties.)

School grades. A House subcommittee bill would extend grading to small schools. SchoolZone.

School spending. The St. Lucie County school board takes the possibility of four-day weeks off the table, reports TCPalm.com. A divided Volusia County school board votes to begin the process of outsourcing custodial and grounds maintenance jobs, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. The Brevard school board votes to close three of four schools proposed for shuttering, reports Florida Today. (more…)