Tax credit scholarships. The Florida teachers union may have cost Democrat Charlie Crist the governor's race by filing suit against the tax credit scholarship program and alienating black voters, writes Lloyd Brown at Sunshine State News. (The school choice program is administered by nonprofits such as Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
Magnet schools. Pasco begins taking applications Dec. 1 for its first magnet school. Gradebook.
Charter schools. Nearly 50 have shut down in South Florida in the past five years. NBC 6.
Testing. State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, files a bill to limit to 10 the number of days districts can set aside for standardized testing. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A former high school band director in Osceola is arrested for reportedly having sexual relationships with two students. Orlando Sentinel.
Campus crime. A second Sarasota County student is arrested for operating a prostitution ring involving students. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Students with disabilities. River Ridge High in Pasco offers a club that fosters friendships between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Tampa Bay Times.
Science. Middle school students in Miami-Dade show off science and innovation skills by designing new shoes. Miami Herald.
Middle schools. Duval looks for ways to boost the performance of its middle school students, among the most struggling in the state. Florida Times Union.
Testing. StateImpact Florida answers questions about the Florida Standards Assessment, the test that will replace the FCAT.
Teacher conduct. A jury decides a fired Palm Beach County teacher should get $337,000 in back pay and damages. South Florida Sun Sentinel. A Lee County teacher accused of sexual misconduct lied about his criminal record on his job application. Fort Myers News Press. A former Manatee County School District employee settles with the district over charges the district retaliated against her for reporting inappropriate behavior on the part of a former assistant football coach. Bradenton Herald.
School crime. A Sarasota County student is charged with running a prostitution ring with students from two high schools. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
School security. Districts statewide may be able to hire private, armed security guards in the wake of a legal opinion from Florida's attorney general. Bradenton Herald. State Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, is bringing back a proposal to allow some school employees or volunteers to carry guns on campus. News Service of Florida.
School calendars. The St. Johns County School District considers starting the next school year Aug. 10 so the first semester can end at holiday break, but that would likely bring a wave of complaints. St. Augustine Record.
Superintendents. Seminole County Superintendent Walt Griffin and Miami-Dade County Superintendent Alberto Carvalho are among 100 superintendents who meet with President Obama to talk about school technology. Orlando Sentinel.
Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts. Florida's newest school choice program officially opened Friday. WCJB. Sentinel School Zone. redefinED. State Sen. Andy Gardiner explains the program on the EdFly.
Charter schools. Half a dozen new ones, with a diverse set of offerings, are slated to open in Hillsborough this fall. Tampa Tribune.
Tax credit scholarships. A lawsuit by the statewide teachers union brings the regulation of private schools under renewed scrutiny. Daytona Beach News-Journal. The Florida Education Association's lawyer tells Watchdog.org that the union was most concerned about the tax credit scholarship legislation, and the personal learning accounts program could be a "collateral casualty" of its recently announced lawsuit.
Early learning. Kindergarten, and even pre-K, may be too late for low-income parents to start thinking about their children's education, experts tell the Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A South Florida judge sides with a teacher who protested her firing after she allowed her daughter to be beaten with an extension cord. Sun-Sentinel.
Magnet schools. A Palm Beach County elementary retools into an arts magnet. Palm Beach Post.
Special needs. A reorganization of Pinellas' special education program has not gone as planned. Tampa Bay Times. A child care center that caters to exceptional children reaches a milestone. Florida Times-Union.
Campaigns. PolitiFact crunches numbers on education spending, a subject of many gubernatorial talking points. The wife of a Republican lawmaker challenges the longest-serving member of the Pinellas school board. Tampa Bay Times.
Editor's note: Former CNN host turned ed reform advocate Campbell Brown gave a speech Tuesday night at the American Federation for Children summit in Florida. Here are her remarks as delivered:
Campbell Brown
I’m so grateful to be part of this conversation as we talk about some of the challenges that lie ahead, and how we keep trying to move the ball forward. I get asked a lot about how I got involved in this, in education, and advocating for school choice. And the answer for me is pretty much the same as Lisa (Leslie, the former WNBA star who spoke earlier) and Faith (Manuel, the mother of a tax credit scholarship student, who also spoke earlier): I became a mother. …
And that’s probably the same answer a lot of other people in this room would have. Like every mother, like every other parent, I remember holding my son Eli in my arms for the very first time and looking at him and realizing that the life I knew was over. (laughter) And going forward, my life would be dedicated to caring for this child, and protecting this child, and trying to ensure that he had every opportunity possible to be all that he could be. And No. 1 on my list, in thinking about this, and thinking about both my kids now, I have two boys, is and was their education.
And I was thinking how fortunate I had been in my life. I had this career in television. And I lived in New York City. And my kids were going to have so many options available to them. I had so many choices and they would throughout their lives have so many opportunities because of this. And I think with that comes the recognition that that’s not the case for most people. And those choices and those options are not available to mothers who care about their kids just as much as I do, and have the same hopes and dreams for their children that I have for mine. And who want their child to have every opportunity in life just like I did. If we believe that education is a fundamental right, then everyone should have that choice.
It never ceases to amaze me that this very simple idea, that a parent who wants to try to find a school, a better school to try to give their child a better life, should have that choice. The idea that this is somehow controversial is amazing to me.
I spent most of my professional life in television journalism. I was at NBC News for 11 years. … I mostly covered politics. I had a show on CNN for almost three years after that. My first boss in TV was Tim Russert, the late host of Meet the Press, who was a wonderful man and a great friend and mentor to me. And he taught me, when I was young and pretty clueless, the ways of the old school journalism. This was before MSNBC and before FOX. And so back then, I remember going to work every day, as Tim had taught us, believing basically when you were covering a story, both sides had some merit. And both sides deserved a fair hearing. And your job as a reporter was essentially to referee the match. But, as I think a lot of you know, sometimes you look at a problem, you evaluate a problem, and it’s very clear that both sides do not have merit. And referee is not a role you can play when the lives of children are hanging in the balance. (applause) (more…)
Tax credit scholarships. The Orlando Sentinel editorializes against the proposed expansion, largely using the editorial written by its sister paper, the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano calls it a continuation of the "systematic decimation of Florida public schools." The Tampa Tribune gives it a thumbs up, writing: "Supporting school choice is a smart policy that by no means diminishes the Legislature’s responsibility to adequately fund public schools, which will remain the first choice of most families." (Full disclosure: the program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
School choice. In an Associated Press rundown of Florida education legislation this year, the Florida PTA takes aim at bills to expand charter schools and tax credit scholarships, saying they amount to "chunks being broken away from our public school system."
Charter schools. The Orange and Seminole school districts consider whether to continue to try and fight the opening of four proposed Charter Schools USA schools in their districts. Orlando Sentinel. Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie ushers in a "new era of collaboration and cooperation" with charter schools. Education Week.
Catholic schools. Several schools in the Diocese of Venice system are looking for new principals. Fort Myers News Press.
School grades. Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning pitches a more complicated system, not a simpler one. Gradebook.
School boards. Gov. Rick Scott fills a vacancy on the Broward board. Miami Herald. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Superintendents. Interim super Hershel Lyons throws his hat in to the ring for the Alachua opening. Gainesville Sun.
Legislature. The Sarasota Herald Tribune highlights the major ed issues for the session that starts Tuesday. In their roundups, the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times erroneously report (as other outlets have in recent weeks) that lawmakers are for the first time proposing that tax credit scholarship students take standardized tests. (They've been required by law since 2006 to take state-approved standardized tests.) (more…)
State tests: The end of the much-maligned FCAT is no cause for celebration by critics, writes the Palm Beach Post. Sen. John Legg correctly recognizes there are too many standardized tests in Florida's public schools, but his proposed solution of a test-free period around state-required tests is impractical, writes the Tampa Bay Times.
Common Core: A state senator has submitted legislation to stop the Common Core State Standards from taking effect in Florida. The Buzz. The new state standards place more emphasis on cursive writing, but not everyone is on board as technology takes over the classroom. Fort Myers News-Press. Studies find textbooks are a poor match for Common Core standards. StateImpact Florida.
Teacher evals: The publication of teacher performance scores this week resonate in Leon County Schools, drawing criticism from school board members and fueling recruitment efforts by the local teachers union. Tallahassee Democrat.
Special needs: The state teachers union releases a video showing Polk County school administrators giving a standardized test to a blind child in a persistent vegetative state. Herald/Times.
State grades: The state Board of Education should listen to parents and educators who want to put the brakes on the grading plan, writes The Ledger.
Pay raises: Pasco County's superintendent recommends new salary schedules for administrators and non-bargaining personnel that would increase their pay by 4 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. Tampa Bay Times. The roughly 6,000 Palm Beach school district service employees like bus drivers, custodians and electricians will get a 4 percent raise under a new tentative labor agreement. Palm Beach Post.
School boards: Pinellas County School Board members vote unanimously to change the time allotted for public comments from the beginning of their meetings to the end, despite initial concerns the switch would discourage public participation. The Tampa Tribune. More from the Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach County school board hears some tough talk on a still-sparse budget for next school year. Palm Beach Post.
Vouchers: Jewish leaders speak in support of school choice and the expansion of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Jewish Journal. Senate President Don Gaetz's call for more accountability through expanded testing is the right call and a good place to start, writes the Sun Sentinel. Taxpayers fund both public and private schools in Florida, and they deserve accountability from each, writes Russ Kesler for the Orlando Sentinel. A lot of parents complain their children aren't getting that high-quality education right now, and lawmakers could be about to give them the opportunity to make a choice. Bay News 9.
Common Core: How can two Sarasota County schools - one for the gifted and the other for disabled students - fit in with the standards that 45 states have approved? Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Ed reform: The 10th annual College Board Report to the Nation ranks Florida once again among the top five states in the percent of high school graduates who have passed an Advanced Placement test with a score of 3 or higher, writes Patricia Levesque. Gainesville Sun.
Teacher evals: Palm Beach teachers score well on the controversial evaluations. Sun Sentinel. The data shows that Broward is among more than three dozen school districts that had lower-than-expected student gains over a one-year period last year, but Miami-Dade and Palm Beach have higher-than-expected student gains. Sun Sentinel. Teachers unions and school districts criticize the release of teacher performance evaluations. Times/Herald. Reactions to the release of Florida's Value-Added Model (VAM) scores for teachers compiled by the Florida Times-Union. School districts reassure teachers. Tampa Bay Times. More from Palm Beach Post, Fort Myers News-Press, Miami Herald, TC Palm and The Tampa Tribune.
Grades: Pinellas school board members consider making honors classes worth less than those in IB and AP. Tampa Bay Times. The student progression plan also could include longer grading periods, and fewer report cards. The Tampa Tribune.
Vouchers: Standardized testing would threaten private-school appeal, writes the Orlando Sentinel. The president of the League of Women Voters of Florida says expanding private scholarships is a further abdication of the state's responsibility to provide a high quality education to Florida's children. Orlando Advocate.
Fundamental schools: Is St. Petersburg's fundamental school within a school working? Tampa Bay Times.
District schools: Escambia County's Warrington Middle School continues to fail its students - and improving the school will take a community-wide effort that must begin this week, writes the Pensacola News-Journal. Hillsborough County's Brandon High celebrates 100 years. The Tampa Tribune. A Duval County high school hosts a conversation about volunteerism, bridging disparities and the community roll of a historic African-American school. StateImpact Florida.
Teachers: Hundreds of thousands of Florida teacher evaluation scores that measure effectiveness on student learning are released after the Florida Times-Union wins lengthy legal battle. The Department of Education sends teachers a message about the release of records. Florida Times-Union. This Duval County teacher's class is all about goals. Florida Times-Union.
Ed leg: If the Legislature adjourns after its upcoming session without passing a single education-related bill, there will still be big changes coming to Florida classrooms this fall. Tallahassee Democrat. Pop-Tarts law is gun lobbying we don't need at school, writes Sue Carlton for the Tampa Bay Times.
State testing: Florida's students are getting ready to write the final chapter in a 17-year saga known as the FCAT. Sun Sentinel. FCAT season begins this week with a low-stakes writing assessment that over the years has seemed to have little purpose. TC Palm. Sen. John Legg aims to address over-testing in Florida public schools. Tampa Bay Times. This coming week marks the beginning of the end for the four most hated letters in Florida education: FCAT. Palm Beach Post.
Common Core: Why less is more for a rural Florida school preparing students for the new education standards. StateImpact Florida.
School boards: Hillsborough County School Board member April Griffin decides to seek a third term after all, citing issues within the school district’s transportation and special education departments that she believes have not been resolved. The Tampa Tribune. The Black Educators Caucus of Palm Beach County still backs the district superintendent, but wants progress report. Palm Beach Post. For Polk County's assistant superintendent, it's all about the kids. The Ledger.
Vouchers: Three weeks after Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford promised a “massive increase” in school choice scholarships for underprivileged schoolchildren, his chamber releases a 40-page bill. redefinED. The proposal is expected to be one of the most-contentious education battles of the 2014 legislative session. The News Service of Florida. More from CBS Miami.
Charter schools: Hillsborough County charter school operators organize their first school choice fair for parents and students to learn about nontraditional public school offerings. The Tampa Tribune.
Technology: Leon County and other school districts across the state begin to realize the potential of putting a computer in every student’s hands, and the obstacles they will have to clear to make that happen. Tallahassee Democrat. Pasco classrooms are opening up to new technology coaches. Tampa Bay Times.
Rick Scott: As a Florida governor, Rick Scott will never be confused with Jeb Bush. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards: Palm Beach school board members should be careful bypassing the superintendent to deal with district personnel issues, writes the Palm Beach Post.
2014 session: Senate Education Committee Chairman John Legg tells the Gradebook there is no must-pass bill this year. House Democrats say session will be 'class warfare.' The Florida News Current.
Charter schools: Three Broward County charter schools could owe the state as much as $1.5 million for failing to provide sufficient instructional hours and receiving funds for ineligible students, and the district is worried it may get stuck with the bill. Sun Sentinel. More from the Miami Herald.
Faith-based schools: The University of Notre Dame and the Alliance for Catholic Education park their national tour bus at Sacred Heart in Pinellas Park to promote Catholic schools. redefinED.
Better Ed: Let's remove the hurdles, reduce the bureaucracy, and empower teachers with the resources and autonomy to allow them to do their jobs, writes former Florida Sen. Paula Dockery for The Ledger. Florida students of all races Continue to meet higher standards in education. Sunshine State News.
Common Core: Florida Parents Against Common Core co-founder Laura Zorc says she is undaunted by the Florida State Board of Education’s vote pushing forward the Common Core State Standards and will continue to fight to stop implementation of the new measures. TC Palm. An Orlando mom explains why Florida's testing policy needs to change. StateImpact Florida.
School boards: Palm Beach County School Board members warn the superintendent that if he doesn't hire a chief of staff soon - they will. Palm Beach Post. Charles Brink, the businessman-turned-education advocate, is not running for the Hillsborough County School Board after all. Tampa Bay Times.
School spending: The Manatee County School District Audit Committee calls the internal information technology department "outdated and inflexible." Bradenton Herald. Rising prescription drug costs and coverage plans for retirees may add up to higher health insurance costs for Pinellas County school employees next year. The Tampa Tribune.
Teachers: Hillsborough County's top teacher of the year finalists welcome the challenges of modern education. The Tampa Tribune.
Bullying: Harlem Globetrotter Shane “Scooter” Christensen talks to Pensacola elementary students about bullying and its impact on schools. Pensacola News-Journal.
Conduct: The Broward School Board dismisses its complaint against a Weston teacher accused of sleeping at his desk after an administrative law judge says it's impossible to prove the educator dozed off. Sun Sentinel.
