Tag: Tammy Jerkins
Florida schools roundup: Homework, anti-test lag, security, lawsuit and more
Homework revisited: A year after Marion County School Superintendent Heidi Maier ended homework for students, the school board will consider a policy that allows elementary school teachers to assign it again. Maier and other administrators conceded last week in a workshop session that some homework is necessary. But they don’t[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Superintendent resigning, security in schools and more
School superintendents: Desmond Blackburn, superintendent of the Brevard County School District since June 2015, is resigning to become the CEO of the California-based New Teacher Center, a national nonprofit that trains and mentors new teachers. Blackburn’s last day is no later than Aug. 10. The school board will discuss its[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Bright Futures, Schools of Hope rules, statue and more
Bright Futures: The Florida Senate unanimously approves a higher education bill that includes the permanent expansion of the Bright Futures scholarships program. S.B. 4, which was sponsored by Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, would provide full funding of tuition and fees for the 41,000 students who qualify for the Academic Scholar[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Home-schooling, desegregation and more
Desegregation order: Indian River County School Board members renew their discussion about getting free from a court desegregation order, which it has been under since 1967. Board members feel the district has made progress toward fulfilling the court’s requirement of “having racially balanced schools taught by diverse staffs to establish an[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Opt-out case denied, alternative exams and more
Opt-out decision: The Florida Supreme Court announces it will not consider a lawsuit brought by parents against several school districts for retaining their 3rd-graders because they opted out of taking the Florida Standards Assessments tests. The decision lets stand a court of appeal ruling that the lawsuits should have been filed in[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Teacher of the year, Bright Futures, charters and more
Teacher of the year: Tammy Jerkins, who teaches pre-calculus at Leesburg High School in Lake County, is named Florida’s teacher of the year by the Florida Department of Education. In the letter supporting her nomination, principal Dennis Neal wrote: “I have never seen her give up on a student, no[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Testing conflict, report cards, lawsuit and more
Testing conflict: The Florida Association of District School Superintendents is objecting to the state’s plan to dump the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test for high school students as an alternative to the algebra I end-of course exam. The Department of Education says the PERT standard is too low, and is recommending the[Read More…]