Florida roundup: Parent trigger, magnet schools, cyber bullying & more

Digital learning. Lawmakers are set to consider a digital education bill that would allow school districts to create “innovation schools” similar to charter schools. Gradebook.

Parent trigger. House version is filed, reports SchoolZone. Democrats concede they probably don’t have the votes to stop it this year, reports Naked Politics.

Magnet schools. The Orange County School Board has a wide-ranging discussion about the district’s offerings. SchoolZone.

Charter schools. The governing board of a charter school in Sarasota County votes to end its management contract with the Imagine charter network, but the company immediately files suit. Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Common Core. Having a Plan B is not a bad idea, writes EdFly Blog. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett notes the politics of CC are tricky, too, reports StateImpact Florida.

Teacher evaluations. Contrary to perception, charter schools have to abide by the new teacher evaluation law just like district schools. StateImpact Florida.

Wall of Shame. Teachers at Tampa’s Jefferson High get an F for word choice, writes Tampa Bay Times columnist Sue Carlton.

Teacher shortage areas. Tallahassee Democrat.

School rankings? District rankings? Maybe not this year. SchoolZone.

FDOE v. USDOE. Over whether disabled students who earn special diplomas should be counted towards graduation rates. SchoolZone.

School security. The Palm Beach County sheriff and its police chiefs urge the school board to put armed officers into every school, reports the Palm Beach Post. The Hillsborough school board agrees to spend $1 million to beef up security, reports the Tampa Tribune.

Cyber bullying. Lawmakers and the parents of victims want more done to prevent the dissemination of student assaults on social media, but free speech makes any effort a thorny one. Tampa Bay Times.

Guidance counselors. The ratio of counselors to students in Lee County is among the highest in the state. Naples Daily News.