District may sue over bill: The Broward County School Board is considering suing the Florida Department of Education over H.B. 7069's requirements that districts share property tax revenue with charter schools and that districts accept charters - so-called "schools of hope" - into neighborhoods with persistently low-performing schools. “We believe that it’s an unlawful public financing of private enterprise,” said Barbara Myrick, Broward’s legal counsel. She also says the 270-plus-page legislation has more than one subject, which she considers a violation of the state law that calls for legislative bills to contain one subject. A decision on a suit is expected to be made next week. Sun Sentinel.
New laws Saturday: One hundred and twenty-five new Florida laws go into effect Saturday. Among them are several education bills: H.B. 3A, which boosts per-pupil spending by $100; H.B. 7069, which changes testing, recess, teacher bonuses, provides extra money for charter schools and more; S.B. 436, which gives teachers and students greater freedom of religious expression; and H.B. 989, which allows anyone to challenge a district's choice of classroom materials. News Service of Florida. A Lakeland couple's successful push to extend state adoption benefits to charter and virtual school employees also takes effect Saturday. Lakeland Ledger.
Educational shift: The Florida Council of 100 believes up to $3 billion in state pre-K through 3rd grade education spending should be redirected from meeting the requirements of the class size amendment to recruiting and paying higher-quality teachers, extending the pre-K program to 3-year-olds and investing in technology. “While class size has a proven impact on grades PreK-3, research clearly indicates that at least $2 billion of taxpayer money for the later years would be better spent on things like attracting and retaining top-notch teachers and improving early learning,” says Pat Geraghty, council chair. The council's report, “The Horizons 2040 Project: Prekindergarten Through Grade 3,” will be presented to the Constitution Revision Commission for consideration. Sunshine State News. Gradebook. Florida Politics.
Random drug testing: Monroe County high school athletes and students in performance groups will be subject to random drug testing this fall. The one-year trial was approved this week by the Monroe County School Board. Keynoter. (more…)
