Bill for school buses: A bill that would make more Florida students eligible for transportation to school gets the approval of the Senate Education Committee. The proposal would allow students who live 1.5 miles from school - instead of the current standard of 2 miles - to be eligible for busing, redefine hazardous walking routes as four-lane roads instead of six-lane ones, and provide busing to all students instead of just those in K-6. The changes could cost the state $58 million and local districts $100 million, according to a staff analysis. Gradebook. News Service of Florida.
Textbook adoption bill: The Senate Education Committee approves a bill creating a process for the public to comment on textbooks and instructional materials and recommend them for adoption. Right now the education commissioner approves materials from a list put together by state instructional materials reviewers. Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, says this bill is "simply an opportunity for the citizens to have a voice.” The House version of the bill would require the Florida Board of Education to allow public comment on materials at any meeting where they’re up for adoption. Politico Florida.
District investigation: A grand jury has been convened to hear "evidence of all aspects of the (Okaloosa County) school district that have become public issues,” according to state attorney Bill Eddins. An elementary teacher has been charged with child abuse of a special-needs student, and three other district employees have been charged with failure to report child abuse. But Eddins says the grand jury will hear testimony that goes beyond the child abuse investigation and the district's record on disciplining employees. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teacher honored: Jason Lancy, an 8th-grade math teacher at Windy Hill Middle School in Clermont, is chosen as the Lake County School District's teacher of the year. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
'Hope Scholarship': Bullied and abused public school students could be eligible next year for a new school choice program being proposed by Florida House Republicans. Under the program, dubbed the "Hope Scholarship," those students could apply for a transfer to a different public school or for a state scholarship to attend a private school. Nearly 47,000 incidents of bullying, hazing or abuse are reported each year in Florida schools, and most involve violence. The legislation has not yet been written, but House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, says the scholarship could be set up like the tax credit scholarship program, which provides scholarships for more than 100,000 low-income students to attend private schools. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer that program. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. redefinED. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Sunshine State News. WUSF.
Enrollment uncertainty: Legislators say the effects of the hurricane season are causing uncertainty in estimating K-12 enrollment for the next school year. Officials were working off an estimate of an additional 26,764 students for the 2018-2019 school year, but that was before several hurricanes swept through the islands and displaced thousands. “If you have more students (than the estimate), you spread it thinner,” says Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, talking about the school funding formula. “If you have less students, you don't get the money.” So far, 12 districts and 19 charter schools are asking the state to delay the usual timetable for counting school enrollment, which is typically this week. If the requests are approved, the counts would have to be done no later than the week of Dec. 11-15. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Almost 150 Puerto Rican students displaced by Hurricane Maria already have registered to attend schools in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Manatee and Polk counties. About 440 have signed up in Orange and Osceola counties. Hundreds, if not thousands more, are expected. WMNF.
Local education agencies: Two charter school companies in Florida are applying to the state to be designated as local education agencies, which would allow them to directly receive federal funding for teacher training, supporting low-income students or helping children with special needs, and gives also them greater control over how they use the money. Somerset Academy, which recently took over the Jefferson County School District, and the United Cerebral Palsy schools, which serve special needs students in central Florida, want to join two other state charter school networks in getting the designation. redefinED.
Florida lawmakers are moving closer to an agreement that would create more stable, predictable funding for charter school facilities.
The state House is pushing ahead with a plan, included in its budget package, that would require school districts to steer some of their local property taxes to charters. A similar effort had stalled in the Senate, but was jump-started this week and won bipartisan approval today from the Appropriations Committee.
SB 376 would steer more than $150 million to charter schools statewide, though funding would vary significantly among districts.
Before the committee passed the bill, Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, said he wanted to add more protections to head off "private enrichment" in charter school real estate deals.
"No one wants to have taxpayer money go to enrich someone, and then when they sell or divest, they make money, and they walk away with taxpayers' money," Braynon said. He had proposed an amendment to that effect, but withdrew it for the time being.
The bill already aims to rein in profiteering by requiring charter schools to either ensure their land would wind up in public hands if they ever closed, or enter lease agreements with companies that have no ties to the charter organization. (more…)
School testing: State senators will consider competing school testing bills this week. SB 926 would push testing back to the final three weeks of the school year, and the test results would have to be returned to teachers within a week. It's sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami. The second bill, SB 964, also delays tests until the final month of the school year, but eliminates specific tests, allows districts to give pencil-and-paper tests, and gives principals wider discretion on teacher evaluations. It's sponsored by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee. Tallahassee Democrat. Montford is confident his bill will be given consideration, even though it was left off the Senate Education Committee's next meeting agenda while SB 926 was included. Gradebook. An amendment added to the Senate's school testing bill would specify that any school board member could visit any school in his or her district at any day and any time. No school could require advance notice, and a campus escort would not be required. The amendment was proposed by Flores. Gradebook.
School recess: The House has finally scheduled a hearing for a bill that would require recess for elementary school students. But the bill, HB 67, has several significant differences from the Senate bill, which has moved through committees and is headed to the Senate floor. The House bill calls for daily recess time, but allows schools to count recess time toward physical education class requirements, allows P.E. classes to count for recess time, and removes fourth- and fifth-graders from the requirement. Miami Herald.
Graduation rates: A bill drafted late last week in the House would count students who move from traditional high schools to alternative charter or private schools in the graduation rate of the school the student left. The bill surfaced just after the Florida Department of Education announced it would investigate whether traditional high schools were pushing struggling students into alternative charter schools in order to boost their graduation rates. That investigation was sparked by a report in ProPublica in February. redefinED. (more…)
Testing cutbacks: A new plan to cut back on student testing is gaining bipartisan support. The identical bills (S.B. 964 and H.B. 1249), filed by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, would eliminate several high school end-of-course exams, give districts the option to offer paper-pencil state testing, allow an alternative nationally recognized test to replace certain high school state tests, prohibit statewide language arts and math testing before the last four weeks of school, and remove value-added measures from teacher evaluations, among other things. Gradebook.
Religion in schools: The Senate education committee approves a bill that would give students the freedom to express their religious views at school. The bill specifically protects students who share religious views in school assignments, clothing or in activities. Critics say the U.S. Constitution already protects religious freedom. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Politico Florida.
Middle schools study: The Senate education committee also approves a bill directing the state Department of Education to study high-achieving middle schools in several states, then make recommendations on improving Florida's middle schools. The bill was introduced by Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. Orlando Sentinel.
Session preview: Educational issues will command attention during the legislative session, which begins today. Politico Florida. WFSU.
Teacher housing plan: The Lee County School District proposes a public-private partnership to build affordable apartments and homes for teachers at three district-owned properties. The district would own the properties, which would be managed by a third party. Construction of the first project could begin in six months. Fort Myers News-Press. (more…)
Recognition money: The Florida Department of Education is handing out 36 percent less recognition money to schools this year. Last year, 1,673 schools received $134.58 million. This year, 1,226 schools are getting $85.7 million. State officials say the decline is due to the number of schools with A grades falling from 1,184 to 754. Officials attribute to decline to harder Florida Standards Assessments tests and higher standards for individual school grading. Florida Times-Union.
Testing cutbacks: Another bill is filed in the Florida Senate that would push most state-mandated testing to the end of the school year, but this one also calls for an end to five specific exams, state oversight of teacher evaluations and the rules that tie teacher evaluations to student test scores. It also wants a written alternative to computers and allow districts to use national tests like the ACT or SAT instead of the 10th-grade language arts section of the Florida Standards Assessments. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, would kill the ninth-grade language arts Florida Standards Assessments test and end-of-course exams in Algebra 2, civics, geometry and U.S. history. Orlando Sentinel.
House vs. feds: The Florida House Education Committee will consider a resolution Tuesday that asks Congress to "end all current, and prohibit any further, interference by the United States Department of Education with respect to public school governance." The resolution also asks Congress to turn Title 1 funding for low-income children and IDEA Part B funding for disabled students into block grants controlled by the states. Gradebook.
Teacher evaluations: There are more than 2,800 teachers in the Manatee County School District, and only three received unsatisfactory evaluations. Two others were told they needed to improve. "Highly effective" was the evaluation 48.1 percent of the teachers received. Fifty percent were judged to be "effective" and 8 percent weren't evaluated at all, according to Florida Department of Education statistics. Teachers with highly effective ratings in other state districts ranged from 97 percent in Okaloosa County to 6 percent in Putnam County. Teachers suggest the disparity in the numbers points to the pointlessness of the evaluation process. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
Charter district: The Florida Board of Education approves a charter schools company taking over a public school district's operations. Jefferson County, which had been struggling financially and with enrollment, will combine the elementary and middle/high schools on a single campus. The district hopes to have applications from charter schools companies by the first week in March. It's the first time a Florida school district has ever ceded operations to a charter school company. redefinED. Tallahassee Democrat. Associated Press. WFSU. The Polk County School Board is considering closing struggling McLaughin Middle School and reopening it under the Bok Academy, an A-rated charter school. Lakeland Ledger.
Charter recruitment: Representatives from four national charter schools companies tell a Florida House committee that they'd like to expand into Florida. BASIS, IDEA, Achievement First and the SEED Foundation all express interest, if the state can set up equitable funding to public districts. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, has suggested such changes are being considered. redefinED.
Teacher incentives: Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, the Senate’s pre-K-12 education budget chairman, wants the Legislature to consider bumping the amount of money available for teacher incentives to at least $200 million. Gov. Rick Scott has recommended $58 million for teacher incentives. “I’m not concerned that we’re talking about $200-250 million,” said Simmons. “It’s an investment; it’s not an expenditure, and I think we can find it in an $83 billion budget.” Miami Herald. The statewide teachers union, the Florida Education Association, says the incentive programs are gimmicks, and that it wants better pay for all teachers. Miami Herald.
Recess doubts: Two members of the Senate PreK-12 Appropriations subcommittee want lawmakers to consider the whole picture of education and the financial implications before approving a bill that would require 20 minutes of recess every day in Florida elementary schools. "This is an important issue, recess, but I think we need to look at it in a more holistic way," said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee. Gradebook. (more…)
Education spending: Gov. Rick Scott releases his proposed budget today, which calls for an increase in the state's Bright Futures program but doesn't account for enrollment growth in schools or provide an answer to the House's plan to trim property taxes, which could cut funding for schools. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Politico Florida.
Alternate graduation path: Florida Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, files a bill creating alternative paths to high school graduation for students who don't pass state-required algebra and language arts tests. Unlike the House's version of this bill, Montford's does not allow state students to skip the exams and still have options for graduation. Gradebook.
District considering leasing: The Palm Beach County School Board is considering a proposal to have a developer build a high school that the district would then lease. "We can't build. We don't have the money," said school board member Karen Brill. "This would be the answer to the prayers of many young families in west Boynton Beach." The district will receive $1.6 billion from a sales tax initiative approved in November, but that money is committed to repairing existing schools, upgrading technology and buying school buses. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)
Workers comp: Florida lawmakers worry that a 14.5 percent increase in workers compensation rates will cost state school districts tens of millions of dollars in what is already looking to be a very tight budget year. “You could foresee some type of legislation filed this session, but the fact remains, as we are sitting here today, school districts are worried. And they should be,” says State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, who is also CEO of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. WFSU.
Reading instruction: A bill is filed in the Florida House to improve reading lessons in schools. The bill, filed by Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, calls for training teachers in "explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading strategies," and encourages districts to step in earlier to help struggling readers. A similar bill passed the House in the last session, but died in the Senate. Gradebook.
Top-rated foundations: The Pinellas Education Foundation is rated the best in the country for the third straight year, according to a study by the Caruthers Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. Other Florida foundations in the nation's top 50 are Brevard Schools Foundation (8th), Foundation for Osceola Education (12th), Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools (14th), Education Foundation for Collier County (22nd), Broward Education Foundation (32nd), Educational Foundation of Lake County (40th), Polk Education Foundation & Business Partnership (41st), Public Education Foundation of Marion County (43rd), and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County (48th). Gradebook.
Charter capital funds: The Florida Department of Education now proposes denying state construction and maintenance money for charter schools that get an F grade from the state or two consecutive grades lower than a C. The rule was tweaked after an earlier version was challenged as discriminatory against charter schools in poor communities. Charter school advocates say they will continue to fight the rules through an administrative hearing. Politico Florida. (more…)
Testing alternatives: A bill allowing school districts to use alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments tests didn't get through this year's Legislature. But Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, says he'll make another push for the bill in the 2017 legislative session. Politico Florida. Members of the Manatee Opt-Out movement plead with school officials to work with them. But they're told the district is obligated to follow the state statutes, which requires students to sit for the tests. Bradenton Herald.
Failing schools: A report by the NAACP's St. Petersburg branch calls on Pinellas County school officials to acknowledge they have failed to provide an equal education for black students. The report also says parents feel ignored by school leaders, and that Superintendent Mike Grego should step down if the five failing schools in the black community don't make dramatic improvements. Tampa Bay Times. Teachers at Oak Ridge Elementary criticize Alachua County Commissioner Bill Proctor’s claims that their school is failing its students. Proctor recently called on the state to take over six south Tallahassee schools that are "separate and unequal" facilities. Gainesville Sun.
Confederate flag: The Indian River County School Board declines to ban the display of the Confederate flag from school campuses. "We can't legislate morality," Superintendent Mark Rendell says. "Our job is to try to teach these kids how to be good, young citizens." TCPalm.
School choice: The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, based in Palm Beach County, is recruiting Hispanic leaders for training to lobby for school choice policies and run for elected offices. The group wants to start in Florida and then replicate the program in other states. Politico Florida.
Teacher evaluations: A change in the "deliberate practices" portion of teacher evaluations is responsible for a huge decline in the number of teachers who are rated "highly effective," Orange County School District officials tell the school board. The "deliberate practices" requires teachers and administrators to choose an area and then measure the teacher's improvement in that area. In the 2013-2014 school year, 81.2 percent of county teachers were rated highly effective. In 2014-2015, the percentage dropped to 2.4 percent. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
