Corcoran chosen: Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis has officially nominated former House Speaker Richard Corcoran for the job of education commissioner. Corcoran is a staunch supporter of school choice, vouchers and charter schools, and former Senate president Don Gaetz says Corcoran could become the "most disruptive education reformer in our state's history." Politically liberal groups and traditional public schools advocates are reacting negatively. “Richard Corcoran has a terrible track record of putting private interests over the needs of Florida’s children,” says Scott McCoy, senior policy counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center. The State Board of Education will have to approve the appointment. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. WUSF. Florida Times-Union. Tallahassee Democrat. Florida Politics. WJXT. Florida Phoenix. DeSantis' 41-person education transition committee includes, among others, state Board of Education chairwoman Marva Johnson, Florida State University president John Thrasher, former Brevard superintendent Desmond Blackburn and John Kirtley, founder and chairman of Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog and helps administer several state K-12 scholarship programs. Sunshine State News. Florida Politics. Gradebook.

Spending on schools: Spending on K-12 schools across the United States increased for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the National Center for Education Statistics. Across the country, $678.4 billion was collected and $596.1 billion was spent in the 2016 fiscal year. The average spent per student was $11,841, but the totals varied widely. The District of Columbia, for example, spent $27,067 per student, and New York spent $24,717, while Idaho spent $8,258 and Utah $8,408. Florida spent $9,176, which was almost identical to the two previous years and ranks 43rd among the states and D.C. Education Week.

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Schools of Hope: The Florida Department of Education is looking for a financial partner to provide loans to build charter schools near persistently struggling, traditional public schools. The partner would oversee the $100 million "Schools of Hope" loan program that was passed by the Legislature in 2017. The DOE expects to provide two loans a year to charter schools to build in areas where traditional public schools have received grades of D or F from the state for three consecutive years. Politico Florida.

Corcoran reaction: Reaction to the report that former House Speaker Richard Corcoran could be named the education commission by Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis draws strong reactions for and against the appointment. Former Senate president Don Gaetz says Corcoran, a fellow Republican and a staunch supporter of school choice, would become "the most disruptive education reformer in our state's history." Fedrick Ingram, the president of the state's biggest teachers union, the Florida Education Association, says "Richard Corcoran may be the worst possible candidate to lead Florida's Department of Education." Gradebook. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Tax hike votes: Voters in Sarasota and Manatee counties approve an additional 1 mill on property taxes for schools, by a wide margin in Sarasota and a narrow one in Manatee. In Sarasota, the extra $55 million in each of the next four years will help pay for 30 extra minutes of classtime a day, higher teacher salaries and more art teachers and behavioral specialists. In Manatee, the extra $33 million a year for the next four years will be used to lengthen the school day by 30 minutes, pay teachers and other employees more, expand STEM and career programs and support charter schools. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Martin County School Board members are considering asking voters to approve a hike in property taxes to pay for teacher bonuses and construction projects. If approved, the measure could raise about $11.2 million a year for four years. TCPalm.

School security, finances: Putting a resource officer in every Pinellas County school by July 1 will cost $23.6 million, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri tells the county commission. The state's contribution is $6.1 million, and the sheriff's office and municipal police departments' contribution is $1.6 million, leaving the school district to find $12.4 million to put 201 school resource officers in the 139 district schools and 18 charter schools. And, Gualtieri notes, there would be an additional $11.2 million needed for upfront costs such as cars, weapons, uniforms and computers. Neighboring Hillsborough County school officials say the district will get an additional $41 million from the state, but still is projecting a $16 million deficit because of new state requirements on school security, an expected 3,000 extra students and other expenses. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough County School Board member April Griffin talks about the district's finances, and the new education and school safety bills. WMNF. The head of one of Florida's largest charter school networks is asking the 13 districts where it has schools to provide resource officers on every campus by April 1. Gradebook. The Gulf Breeze City Council votes to fund the placement of part-time officers in all the city's elementary schools through the end of the school year. WEAR.

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Testing reforms: Under the proposed "Fewer, Better Tests" bills filed Wednesday in the Legislature, all K-12 assessment testing would take place in the final three weeks of the school year, starting in the 2017-2018. S.B. 926 and H.B. 773 would also require results be returned to teachers within a week of testing, and that an understandable report be sent to parents. It also directs the education commissioner to study the feasibility of replacing the Florida Standards Assessments with the SAT or ACT. If the changes are approved, the state would also have to renegotiate its contract with testing vendor American Institutes for Research. Bill sponsors Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami; Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah; and Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, say the goal of the bills is to reduce stress and anxiety among students, parents and teachers. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida.

Per-student funding: Florida's spending per student ranks well below the U.S. average among states, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. In the 2013-2014 school year, Florida spent $8,714 per student. The U.S. average was $10,936. Miami-Dade County spent the most per student among districts, $9,106. Gradebook.

Teaching incentives: Senators on the Florida PreK-12 education budget committee react coolly to Gov. Rick Scott's $58 million proposal for incentives to recruit and retain teachers. Specifically, senators criticized Scott's proposal for $10 million in hiring bonuses for new teachers who score in the top 10 percent in their subject-area exam. "It concerns me that we continue to look for the best performers in college -- and not the best teachers," said Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze. Miami Herald.

Gun-free zones: Bills filed in the Legislature this week are aimed at ending gun-free zones in Florida - including at K-12 schools. Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, and Rep. Don Hahnfeldt, R-Villages, filed S.B. 908 and H.B. 803 to eliminate all restrictions on where people with concealed-carry permits can take their guns. Miami Herald. (more…)

Florida's charter schools would have financial incentives to serve low-income and special needs students, and be barred from using state facilities funding for "private enrichment," under a proposal approved this week by a state Senate panel.

The Senate's plan, which won praise on both sides of the aisle, was unveiled Thursday after the state House of Representatives spent days debating school construction and charter school funding.

The proposal (starting on page 196) wouldn't necessarily steer more money to charter schools, or change the rules deciding which schools qualify for facilities funding. But it would change the formula for parceling out the money, and place new restrictions on charters that lease private land.

Right now, charter school capital outlay funding is distributed based on factors like when schools opened and whether they qualified for funding in the past.

The Senate has proposed scrapping that formula. Under its plan, all schools that qualify for capital outlay (right now, that's about 535 of the state's more than 650 charters) would receive a base amount of facilities funding.

They would receive extra funding if more than 75 percent of their students qualified for free and reduced-priced lunches, or if more than 25 percent of their students qualified for special education services. Those that met both standards would receive double weight. (more…)

A proposal to let students choose any public school that has room is on the move again in the Florida Legislature.

This year, the plan is tied to an overhaul of the state's high school sports regulations. But unlike other bills in the state's perennial legislative battles over athletics, SB 684, dubbed "choice in sports," has gotten a go-ahead from the Florida High School Athletics Association.

Representatives for the group said they could go along with the changes in the bill — which, among other things, would allow private schools to participate in the sports governing body on a sport-by-sport basis — before the Senate Education Committee passed the measure unanimously.

Like last year's public-school choice effort, the bill drew logistical concerns from some school districts. Vern Pickup-Crawford, a lobbyist for Palm Beach County schools, said districts are in the process of allocating spots in their choice programs now, but the plan wouldn't take effect until over the summer. Crawford said that could cause headaches before the start of school.

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A bill solidifying Florida's newest educational choice program continued its string of bipartisan support this morning, winning unanimous backing from the Senate Appropriations panel.

The measure would boost funding for Florida's Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts, make them available to more students, and broaden their potential uses. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the accounts.

One parent, Stephanie Willson, told the committee she had tried public and private schools for her 9-year-old son, who has Down syndrome. Ultimately, she said, customizing an education for her child at home was the best option.

"With this program we're able to tailor an educational environment exactly to his needs, and I'm thankful for this freedom of choice," she said. Thanks to the curriculum and therapy the program helped her pay for, she said, "I've seen tremendous growth over the past year." (more…)

Key Florida lawmakers have revived an attempt to let students attend public schools across district boundaries.

The change is included in a bill filed Friday by Sens. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville and Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.

It would require school districts to allow parents from "any school district in the state" to enroll their children in "any public school that has not reached capacity."

Charter schools would also have to accept students across district lines.

There is a twist. SB 684, titled "Choice in Sports," would also tackle a perennial controversy over how Florida regulates high school athletics.

Among other things, it would stipulate that students are immediately eligible to participate in sports after they change schools, and create new fines for school employees who engage in athletic recruiting. (more…)

Gates Foundation: Hillsborough County's school district will dismantle the complex teacher evaluation system it developed six years ago with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Tampa Bay Times.

School testing: This week's Board of Education hearing reveals a perception gap among parents, school officials and business leaders on school testing and accountability. Miami Herald. Gradebook. Sunshine State News. Bridge to Tomorrow. Behind the politics of testing. The Atlantic. School testing takes up far too much time, the Tampa Bay Times argues in an editorial.

Charter schools: Palm Beach County School Supt. Robert Avossa reverses a decision to withhold federal funds from charter schools for disabled student services. Palm Beach Post. A member of the Indian River County School Board says the district's charter schools are being shortchanged when it comes to financial resources. TCPalm. State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Destin, proposes a bill to make charter schools eligible for mandatory student uniform incentive funds. Tampa Bay Times.

Sales tax controversy: Lake County school officials say they couldn't have renovated six high schools without use of the penny sales tax, but county officials contend that use requires voter approval. Daily Commercial.

Teacher pay: Negotiations between the Hillsborough County school district and the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association break down. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

A bill filed Thursday by a powerful Florida lawmaker would cement the expansion of the state's newest educational choice program for special needs students, and create new college programs aimed at giving those students a "meaningful campus experience."

Earlier this year, state lawmakers expanded the state's Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts* for students with special needs, allowing 3- and 4-year-olds, children with muscular dystrophy and more students with autism to receive them.

But that and other changes were made in bills tied to the state budget, meaning they expire after June 30 unless they're made permanent in state law.

SB 672 by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, would codify those changes. It would also revive another priority of Senate President Andy Gardiner: Creating more college options for special needs students.

The bill would create a new Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida. The center would help parents navigate college options, and guide the creation of new Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs that offer students job training or degrees at colleges, universities and technical centers around the state. (more…)