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Testing standards toughened: The Florida Board of Education adopts tougher standards for the state exams high school students must pass to graduate. The board also eliminated the Post Secondary Education Readiness Test, one of the alternatives for students who don't pass the state exams. Alternatives to the state tests are now the SAT, ACT and just-added PSAT, though the board also boosted the scores needed on those tests to qualify for graduation. The new standards go into effect for students entering high school this fall. Educators protested the changes, saying they will significantly lower graduation rates. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. WFTS. Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart announces that she's retiring Jan. 8, the day Gov. Rick Scott leaves office, though she says she's open to staying on if the next governor asks her to. Stewart has been in the job since 2013, when she replaced Tony Bennett after he resigned. Gradebook.

Schools of Hope: The Board of Education also approves two new Schools of Hope operators, bringing the state's total to four. Schools of Hope qualify for special financing and grants to expand services and increase instructional time. Officials for KIPP New Jersey and Democracy Prep Public Schools say they look forward to working with school districts and the state to put schools in areas where traditional public schools have struggled. KIPP is helping create a new school in Miami in a partnership with the Miami-Dade district, while Democracy Prep wants to complement KIPP in Miami and is also looking into places like Polk and Hillsborough counties. redefinED.

Employee of the year: Stephanie Melton, an exceptional student education behavioral health assistant at W.E. Cherry Elementary School in Clay County, is selected by the Florida Department of Education as the 2018 school-related employee of the year. She wins $10,000. The other finalists -- Sylvester Jones of Bay County; Jermaine Green of Miami-Dade County; Debra Canning of Pinellas County; and Sarah Woods of Sarasota County -- each win $6,500. Florida Department of Education.

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School spending: Florida schools are still struggling to recover from spending cuts made during the Great Recession of 2007-2009, say superintendents and other school officials. The Florida School Finance Council, which advises the commissioner of education, says the state would have to spend an additional $1.86 billion over the next three years to offset those cutbacks. "School revenue is back to where it was in 2007, (but) does anybody believe costs are the same?" asked Escambia County Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. "I think where we're feeling the pinch now is just the operational costs to really support and educate your kids." Naples Daily News. St. Johns County school officials are "cautiously optimistic" after delving into Gov. Rick Scott's proposed education budget, which would give them $17.6 million more. “In this day and age, that’s a pretty healthy increase,” said Mike Degutis, the district’s chief financial officer. “If this stands through the process, that’d be great for us.” St. Augustine Record.

Open enrollment: Orange County school officials say only 29 of the district's 188 schools will be open to transfer students under the state's new open enrollment law that begins in August. The list includes 20 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools and a K-8 school. Students who live in Orange County can apply now for one of those seats, while those who live outside the county can apply starting May 15. Orlando Sentinel. The Lake County School District begins accepting applications for transfers under the new law. Only 14 of the district's 43 schools have openings for transfers. Daily Commercial.

Class size suit dismissed: A judge dismisses a lawsuit accusing the Palm Beach County School District of violating the state's school class-size limits. A voter-approved amendment in 2002 capped K-3 "core" class sizes at 18 students. Paul Kunz filed the suit after his son was placed in a kindergarten class of 21 students. The judge ruled that an individual can't sue a local school board over class-size rules since the state is responsible for their implementation. Palm Beach Post.

Charter regulation: Margate city commissioners give tentative approval to a rule that would require new charter schools to adhere to the same property regulations as traditional public schools. City rules require 12 acres for elementary schools, 20 acres for middle schools and 45 acres for high schools. Because there is little vacant land in Margate, Mayor Tommy Ruzzano says the rule would "pretty much" end new charter school applications. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)

AP success: Nearly 58 percent of Florida high school seniors took one or more Advanced Placement exams in 2015, according to a College Board report. That percentage was second in the United States, trailing only the District of Columbia (70 percent). About 31 percent of Florida seniors scored 3 or higher on one or more of the AP exams. Only Maryland and Massachusetts had higher percentages of students passing the exams. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Naples Daily News.

Charters and choice: Two Senate bills, one on charter schools and the other on school choice, undergo significant changes and may get a vote today in committee. SB 524 deals with teacher bonuses, charter facilities financing, competency-based pilot programs and giving principals greater authority to make changes at struggling schools. SB 1166 would allow open enrollment for any student to attend any school with an opening, allow athletes to transfer and play immediately, and revamp charter school regulations. Step Up For Students. Politico Florida. Gradebook.

Computer coding: The Florida Senate passes a bill allowing Florida students to take computer coding to satisfy foreign language requirements. The bill now says public schools may offer coding classes in place of foreign languages, but do not have to. If a school does not, it "may provide students access to the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other means.” Miami Herald. Politico Florida. WFSU.

Alternative testing: State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, says he was only checking when he asked the Department of Education's legal counsel if contracts hinged on the Legislature approving funding. He was told that was correct. Gaetz has pushed a bill that would allow schools to use tests such as the ACT and SAT instead of the Florida Standards Assessments. American Institutes for Research, the vendor that administers the FSA, has a six-year, $220 million contract with the state. Politico Florida.

Bennett lobbying: Former Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is now registered as a lobbyist in the state. Bennett, who resigned in 2013 during a charter school controversy, represents companies that specialize in Common Core implementation and alternative teacher certification programs. Florida Politics and AP. (more…)

Special needs. Orange County schools used restraints on students with disabilities more than 1,000 times during the past school year, but the district uses them less frequently than the state average. Orlando Sentinel.

Charter schools. The City of West Palm Beach identifies a site for a planned municipal charter school. Palm Beach Post.

Tony Bennett. The former state education chief accepts a $5,000 fine for using state computers for political purposes in Indiana, but an inspector general's review clears him of any ethics issues in the school grading scandal that led to his resignation in Florida. Politico. Associated Press.

Advanced Placement. Alachua County students passed nearly two thirds of their AP exams. Gainesville Sun.

ESOL. Hillsborough County teachers face firing for failing to get training to teach English for Speakers of Other Languages. Tampa Bay Times.

Finance. An aging state accounting system affects the flow of payments to Florida schools. Associated Press. Santa Rosa district officials say their fiscal situation is improving. Pensacola News-Journal. The Walton school district is looking to replace its chief financial officer shortly after finding out it had run down its reserve balance. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Top teachers. Florida is set to name its Teacher of the Year. Lakeland Ledger. Gradebook. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

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Charter schools. Palm Beach County school district officials worry about the impact of expanding charter schools. Palm Beach Post. The Miami Herald flags charter schools among its examples of industries with issues in play in the legislative session that contribute to campaigns. Neighborhood groups are concerned about the traffic impact of a planned charter school for as many as 1,800 students. Herald. Miami TV stations follow a $25 million sex abuse and bullying lawsuit against a Miami charter school.  CBS Miami. NBC Miami.

Virtual schools. A virtual charter school that met resistance from school district officials says it expects enrollment numbers to rise. Tampa Bay Times.

School choice. Palm Beach County parents should be finding out whether their children were admitted to choice programs. Extra Credit.

Tony Bennett. Florida's former education commissioner tells Chalkbeat Indiana that education reformers have lost the last several rounds of policy battles in a lengthy Q&A.

Advanced Placement. Florida's high school graduates outpace the nation in English and social-science courses. Not so in science or Calculus. Bridge to Tomorrow.

Teacher evaluations. The Department of Education watches as a handful of Pinellas County schools experiment with alternatives to VAM scores. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Every morning, Kevin Gines gets up an hour earlier so his mom can drive him to a nearby public school, where the 16-year-old sophomore takes a naval science class. Then he heads to a private Christian academy in North Florida to finish the rest of his school day.

“He’s really serious,’’ said Kevin’s father, Jesse, a security guard. “You should see how he shines his shoes. He’s already a soldier.’’

Kevin said he’s willing to make the extra effort because he knows it’s an opportunity he almost didn’t get. His school, the Christian Home Academy in Orange Park, doesn’t offer JROTC. So last May, the Gineses tried to sign up Kevin for the program at Middleburg High, a Clay County district school within minutes of their home.

School officials intervened, telling the Gineses that Kevin wasn’t eligible because he wasn’t enrolled in the public school, and that he couldn’t register for only one class. A high school in neighboring Duval County said Kevin could sign up for JROTC there, but it was too far for his mother to drive each day.

Kevin was about to give up, but not his dad. Jesse Gines combed through state statutes. He learned private school students are allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities at public schools, such as sports and gifted programs. So are homeschoolers and students taking classes through Florida Virtual School. There’s also a notice on the JROTC website that says students not enrolled at the school hosting the program can become special cadets.

But the district official overseeing enrollment wouldn’t budge. Kevin, who comes from a family of Marines, appeared to be caught in a gray area.

Then his dad reached out to Step Up For Students, the nonprofit that administers the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Kevin’s family uses the scholarship to send him and his little brother to Christian Home Academy. Step Up also co-hosts this blog.

We talked to JROTC officials as well as the state education commissioner at the time, Tony Bennett, and Clay County Superintendent Charlie Van Zant. Everyone agreed it would be a mistake if Kevin couldn’t join JROTC and follow his dream. (more…)

Tax credit scholarships. A growing option for families in Pinellas. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools. The proposed charter school at MacDill Air Force Base sparks a debate over charter school governance. Tampa Tribune. Polk State College aims to help high school dropouts with a new charter school. The Ledger.

School choice. The Pinellas County School District kicks off its application process this week for district school choice programs such as magnets and career academies. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School and other quality online providers are innovative, accountable and getting good results, writes FLVS President & CEO Julie Young in an op-ed for the Fort Myers News Press.

Testing. What's going to replace the FCAT? Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is expected to shed some light on that this week. Florida Current. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Common Core. Common Core critic Sandra Stotsky is right that Common Core won't prepare students for college majors in science engineering and math, writes FSU Physics Professor Paul Cottle, but saying it shouldn't be implemented because of that is "like saying that you shouldn’t purchase an automobile because it can’t fly." Bridge to Tomorrow. Common Core is among the top issues to watch in 2014. News Service of Florida (via The Buzz).

Tony Bennett. How the charter school grading story unfolded in Indiana. Indianapolis Monthly. (Hat tip: StateImpact Florida).

Teacher pay. The Pasco County School District gets criticized by state auditors, again, for failing to establish differential pay for teachers and administrators. Gradebook. (more…)

Charter schools: The Hillsborough school district should expand its elementary on MacDill Air Force Base to accommodate middlerschoolers, and satisfy needs of a growing military population, writes Dan Ruth for the Tampa Bay Times. Leaders of The Schools of McKeel Academy say they do not need to rush into hiring a new superintendent. The Ledger. Officials with the JAX Chamber make an agreement with the Duval County school district to help find paid internships to high school juniors and seniors. Florida Times-Union.

Magnet schools: Pinellas school board gives its initial approval to a district plan to reopen two shuttered schools as technology magnets. Tampa Bay Times.

Digital learning: Students at two Orange County elementary schools will begin toting their own laptops and tablets to school in January as the district tries out a "Bring Your Own Device" program. Orlando Sentinel. Collier County's implementation of Bring Your Own Device has been deemed a success by administrators. But some parents still are resisting the move. Naples Daily News.

IB: Another Sarasota County high school will offer an International Baccalaureate diploma program. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

District schools: Manatee County looks to streamline its operations. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

School safety: A year after 20 children and six adults were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Central Florida school districts say their heightened security efforts have become the new normal. Orlando Sentinel.  Rhema Thompson honors those who lost their lives at Sandy Hook by remembering the "acts of love by individuals in our community.'' Pensacola News-Journal.

Audits: The latest review of Manatee County school district's finances turns up more problems. Bradenton Herald.

Tony Bennett: ACT hires former Florida education commissioner Tony Bennett as a consultant for the new test tied to Common Core standards the company is developing. Education Week.

Student arrests: Pinellas school officials follow their Broward counterparts and look at a new policy that results in fewer students getting arrested. The Tampa Tribune.

Teacher awards: Pinellas County Schools announces 10 finalists for the annual teacher of the year award. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher raises: The Palm Beach County School District and its teachers finally reach a tentative agreement to give teachers raises averaging about $2,200 this year. Palm Beach Post.

Conduct: A Santa Rosa County high school is arrested for bringing a toy handgun on campus that leads to a lockdown. Pensacola News-Journal. A Lee County middle school student is suspended after another student reports that he touched her inappropriately. Fort Myers News-Press. A Manatee County substitute teacher is arrested after he allegedly grabbed a student and dragged him out of a classroom. Bradenton Herald.

Special needs: The special needs student population in Palm Beach County School District is booming this year — both at district-run and charter schools. Palm Beach Post. Special needs students lead the homecoming court at a Miami-Dade high school. Miami Herald.

Technical center: Pasco County's superintendent no longer supports the building of a technical center on the Pasco-Hernando Community College's east campus. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools: A Polk County charter school starts an IT academy for middle-schoolers. The Ledger.

First year: One year after being hired to confront the district’s most stubborn stains, Duval County's Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has become the city’s education leader by being visible and vocal. Florida Times-Union.

Common Core: As Florida looks to quell the controversy over its new education standards, state education officials try to figure out how those standards apply to nearly 2 million students. Tallahassee Democrat. OrlandoCommon Core comments run from "great'' to "commie brainwashing.''  Orlando Sentinel.

Dual enrollment: Pasco County's superintendent vows to continue fighting the new fees districts must pay to state colleges. Tampa Bay Times.

Anti-bullying: Equality Florida recognizes the Broward County Public school district for its anti-bullying policies. StateImpact Florida.

Teacher pay: Santa Rosa County teachers will get raises of about 3.7 percent while support personnel receive an $800 flat-rate bump. Pensacola News-Journal.

Free meals: At least two Escambia County schools are being investigated for reportedly receiving federal reimbursement for thousands of free and reduced cost meals that were never served to students. Pensacola News-Journal.

Searching: After two tries and more than a year of searching, the Palm Beach County School District may have finally found an outside agency interested in investigating complaints against top district officials. Palm Beach Post.

Tuberculosis: Two active cases of tuberculosis are confirmed in Seminole and Orange county schools. Orlando Sentinel. Duval County schools report two cases. Florida Times-Union.

New name: Duval schools officials plan to survey several Forrest High stakeholder groups about renaming the school. Florida Times-Union.

Tony Bennett: Florida's former education commissioner faces an ethics complaint in his home state of Indiana. StateImpact Florida.

Conduct: A state Department of  Education investigation into a former Lee County superintendent is over. Naples Daily News. More from the Fort Myers News-Press.

State prize: A Port St. Lucie third-grader wins the state's top prize for his 38-pound cabbage.  TC Palm.

Grammar lessons: A fifth-grade teacher in Gainesville uses music to teach nouns and verbs. Associated Press.

Math help: Hillsborough County students bone up on Algebra skills with a new interactive program called Algebra Nation. The Tampa Tribune.