Florida Formula. South Carolina is looking at third-grade retention and other parts of the Florida model. The State.

Parent trigger. The Senate Education Committee passes the parent trigger along - altogether now - party lines. The Buzz, WFSU, Tallahassee Democrat.

Charter schools. StateImpact Florida writes up a bill sponsored by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, that would allow districts to create charter-like "innovation schools." (The Senate Education Committee passed the bill unanimously.) The Orlando Sentinel notes passages of another charter bill that would beef up accountability requirements.

Dual  enrollment. The DOE picks the College of Central Florida to create a website promoting dual enrollment. Ocala Star Banner. (more…)

School security. The Legislature is looking at a range of school security proposals, including allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons on school grounds and allowing local voters to hike taxes to pay for school security measures, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino offers his take on the latter. Orlando Sentinel offers more on the latter. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.

School rankings. Asked whether they will be forthcoming this year, Gov. Rick Scott says he's working on it with Education Commissioner Tony Bennett. SchoolZone.

School closings. Tensions rise over Superintendent Kurt Browning's plan to close an alternative school, reports Gradebook. Then he changes his mind, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

School enrollment. Flagler and Volusia counties are seeing enrollment declines, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal.

School rezoning. The latest from Seminole. Orlando Sentinel.

School spending. The Brevard school board approves $30 million in cuts. Florida Today.

School prayer. Some in St. Johns County want it back in graduation ceremonies. St. Augustine Record.

School boards. The Lee County School Board asks the Department of Education to investigate ... the Lee County School Board. Fort Myers News Press.

Charter schools. The traditional media overlooks the good news in the state's new charter school report, writes EdFly Blog. The Pinellas school district is planning to sell a shuttered middle school building to a new charter school group, reports Gradebook. Two well-regarded charters that serve students with disabilities are expected to be renewed in Orange, reports SchoolZone. (more…)

Tony Bennett. On his first day on the job, he meets with superintendents and the Florida Association of District Administrators and says he is an “unapologetic advocate for school choice,” reports the Tallahassee Democrat. More from The Buzz. His first comments on the “Commissioner’s Blog” here. Interview with StateImpact Florida.

Charter school funding. More than 1,000 people turn out for a meeting called by Pembroke Pines charter parents to demand equal funding for charter schools, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

School spending. If the Broward school district wants to get the money to repair old schools, it will have to restore trust with voters and overcome a “long and lousy history of stunningly bad behavior,” editorializes the Miami Herald: “The district has been plagued by cronyism, mismanagement and a culture of dishonesty. In a scathing grand jury report released almost two years ago, jurors said they found the district so thoroughly corrupt, so reckless in its spending of taxpayers’ money, they would have recommended abolishing the school board completely if the state Constitution didn’t require its existence.” In Manatee, a forensic audit finds “incompetency -- not criminal or illegal activity -- caused a $3.4 million budget deficit that rocked the public trust,” reports the Bradenton Herald. More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

School prayer law. “For the Satanists, it was a godsend,” writes Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino.

Cold water on the party. Former state Sen. Dan Gelber says there isn’t much for Florida to celebrate in the latest Education Week rankings. Florida Voices.

Murmurs. School administrators wanted to hear more from Gov. Rick Scott, writes Tampa Bay Times columnist Steve Bousquet.

Merit pay challenge. A hearing on the FEA’s challenge of SB 736 is set for Wednesday in Leon County Court. SchoolZone. (more…)

Quality Counts. Florida ranks No. 6 this year in Education Week’s annual report. Coverage from redefinED, Associated Press, Miami Herald, Gradebook, Orlando Sentinel, StateImpact Florida, Fort Myers News Press, Naples Daily News, WCTV, News4Jax. More from Huffington Post.

Charter school access. SchoolZone takes a critical look at the first policy paper from the Center for School Options, a new think tank chaired by former Education Commissioner Jim Horne. It grades the 10 biggest districts in the state on charter school access. The Fort Myers News Press writes up Lee County's top grade.

Charter school attendance. Palm Beach district officials suggest tighter controls are needed after a Mavericks charter school overstated its attendance and received $160,000 more in per-pupil funding. Palm Beach Post.

Career and technical. Tampa Bay school officials are headed to Germany to learn more about programs there. Tampa Bay Times.

Suspension and grad rates. A Johns Hopkins University study of Florida ninth graders finds much higher graduation rates for those who were never suspended as freshmen versus those who were suspended even once or twice.Education Week.

Rick Scott. Visits Fort Lauderdale High School. South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Superintendent searches. Interim education commissioner Pam Stewart applies for the superintendent’s opening in Manatee County, reports Gradebook. St. Lucie County gears up to replace retiring Superintendent Michael Lannon, reports TCPalm.com.

School security. Hillsborough is going too far, editorializes the Tampa Bay Times. So is a Lake County School Board member who wants to arm teachers and principals, writes Orlando Sentinel columnist Lauren Ritchie.

Rezoning angst in Seminole. Orlando Sentinel.