Opt-out ruling overturned: An appeals court overturns a ruling that some state school districts improperly retained third-graders who had opted out of the Florida Standards Assessment language arts test. The appeals court concluded that lawsuits against the state over the retention policy should have been heard in local courts instead of a[Read More…]
Tag: Senate President Joe Negron
Florida schools roundup: No names in bills, alternative schools and more
Bill drops name: A bill that would prohibit Florida high school students from leaving campuses for lunch won’t bear the name of a Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School girl who was killed in a car crash during lunch off campus in 1999. Sen. Rene Hialeah, R-Hialeah, removed the name of Mayra[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Spending, bill for scholarships, bathrooms and more
School tax hike: The K-12 education budgets of both Gov. Rick Scott and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, count on an extra $400 million-plus that would be raised through rising property values on unchanging local property tax rates. Neither considers that a tax hike. But Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, does,[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Budget-cutting exercise, charter schools and more
Cutting exercise: Members of the Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee meet to brainstorm about what they might cut out of the education budget if state revenue falls as projected. Many agreed on killing a $14 million incentive plan for student uniforms. Other potential cuts included district-level administrative funds, money to[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Bright Futures, capital funding, testing and more
Bright Futures: The proposed expansion of Bright Futures scholarships is moving in two directions within the Florida Senate. Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, wants to expand the scholarships for high-achieving students to cover full tuition and fees, and to allow them to use the money for summer classes. S.B. 2,[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Senate agenda, graduation rates, top teacher and more
Senate’s education agenda: Senate President Joe Negron’s agenda includes more school choice for K-12 and more money for the state’s universities. The Republican from Stuart also affirms his support for school testing and accountability. WUSF. Graduation rates: South Florida schools’ graduation rates have been rising steadily for five years, and[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Building funds, charters, testing, equal access and more
School tax revenue shortfall: Tax revenue for building and repair schools is forecast to be lower than expected, and legislators may consider issuing school construction bonds through the Public Education Capital Outlay fund. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, said issuing bonds would be a last resort, but Senate President[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Recess bill, teacher bonuses, seat belts and more
Recess bill filed: A bill has again been filed in the Legislature to require daily recess in Florida’s elementary schools. Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, filed SB 78, which would require 20 minutes of “supervised, safe and unstructured free-play recess” every day for K-5 students. A similar bill died in the Senate last[Read More…]