This year, Florida lawmakers wanted to give students more freedom to attend schools across district lines, arguing students' educational options shouldn't be limited by geographic boundaries.
In some places, this is happening already. Take, for example, The Villages, the sprawling age-restricted development spanning Marion, Lake and Sumter Counties, which runs a charter school for its employees. The K-12 school enrolls nearly 3,000 students, making it one of the largest charter schools in the state.
It is one of just two schools in the state known as "charter schools in the workplace," where students' eligibility is based on where parents work, instead of where they live.
The Leesburg Daily Commercial recently reported the school is over capacity, and changed its rules governing which parents qualify.
Charter schools. More than 100 students may be forced to leave The Villages' charter school due to a change in eligibility rules. Leesburg Daily Comercial.
School choice. Registration for Broward's school choice options draws a crowd. WFOR.
Testing. Monroe may be the latest school district to do away with local end of course exams. Keynoter. Other districts cut back on them. Florida Today. Pensacola News-Journal. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Opt-Out Orlando urges parents to refuse district testing of their children in second grade and below. Orlando Sentinel. A teacher is being investigated for encouraging other students to opt out of testing. Gradebook. Hillsborough teachers say they don't get test results in time to use them. Tampa Tribune.
Credit recovery. The Alachua school district looks to consolidate droupout prevention centers. Gainesville Sun. If a program helps struggling students graduate on time, who should get credit? Florida Times-Union.
School boards. The Manatee school board looks to turn over a new leaf after agreeing on the superintendent's departure. Bradenton Herald.
Superintendents. Leon County Schools should switch to an appointed superintendent, the Tallahassee Democrat argues in an editorial.
Administration. Hillsborough's new superintendent may set clearer rules on lobbying by district employees. Tampa Tribune. Manatee schools plan to revamp their hiring process. Bradenton Herald.
Career education.Parents in a rural area of Alachua County ask the school district for more vocational training options. Gainesville Sun. Students at a Collier technical academy build a boat. Naples Daily News.
Budgets. School districts have to start planning for the next year without a state budget in place. Times/Herald.
