Schools of hope: Fifty of 90 eligible low-performing schools have applied to the state for grants through the "schools of hope" provision in the new education law. The law creates financial incentives for charter schools to move into areas with persistently struggling schools. But it also offers as many as 25 of those low-performing schools an extra $2,000 per student for special services such as after-school and counseling programs if they submit turnaround plans that are approved by the state. The Florida Board of Education is expected to choose which schools get the extra money at its Sept. 13 meeting. Sun-Sentinel. Gradebook.
Busing misdirection: Martin County school officials misrepresented why they decided to end busing for 850 students who live within 2 miles of their school, according to a newspaper investigation. Superintendent Laurie Gaylord blamed the state for her decision to end the courtesy busing, saying the provisions of a law made it impossible to prove that the 850 students faced hazardous walking conditions and, therefore, would be eligible for busing. But state Rep. Larry Metz, R-Groveland, who wrote the law, said the intent was to improve busing access to students, not restrict it. "Their letter is completely inaccurate with regard to the effect of the bill," Metz said of the letter Gaylord sent to parents. TCPalm.
Charter group sues: A charter school group is appealing an administrative judge's ruling that the state may deny facilities funding to charter schools that receive consecutive D grades. The Florida Association of Independent Public Schools is arguing that the state should use a standard of "satisfactory student achievement" instead of school grades to determine eligibility for capital funding. redefinED.
Solar eclipse: More on what Florida schools districts are doing during this afternoon's solar eclipse. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel. Lakeland Ledger. Bradenton Herald. WBBH. Santa Rosa Press Gazette. Northwest Florida Daily News. Belle Glade Sun. WKRG. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WQAM. Associated Press. Florida Keys Weekly. Daily Commercial. WTSP. This summer, Haile Middle School principal bought 1,300 special glasses so students could view the solar eclipse today. Last week, Manatee County Superintendent Diana Greene decided that all students would be kept inside during the eclipse. Bradenton Herald. As a 10-year-old in 1991, Neil Brown took a quick look at a partial eclipse in Walla Walla, Wash. It damaged his left eye. Now a teacher at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, Brown is warning his students about the danger of looking at the eclipse without special glasses. Palm Beach Post.
LGBT policy: The Brevard County School Board is expected to decide Tuesday whether to expand the district's anti-harassment policy by banning discrimination against students and staff on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. In April, on a 3-2 vote, the board agreed to schedule a vote on the policy to add lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as a protected class. Florida Today.
Soft landing: A year after new school busing routes caused confusion and delays in Palm Beach County, the administrator most directly responsible for the problem is now making $111,000 a year in a district job in which he supervises three people and makes more than the department director. Steve Bonino was demoted in January from director of operations after the busing crisis, and now supervises the district’s program to remodel school cafeterias. Palm Beach Post.
Records lawsuit: The Orange County teachers union is suing the school district, accusing it of "completely ignoring" state law on open records. The union charges that the district put up roadblocks or ignored requests from the union for documents on employee discipline. saying it did not respond or that it put up hurdles when the union requested documents related to employee discipline. The district has not commented. Orlando Sentinel.
Art referendum: Pinellas County voters will be asked in November to renew a tax referendum that supports arts instruction in the district's schools. The tax, first passed in 2004, provides about $33 million a year to the district. Tampa Bay Times.
Driver's ed: Driver's education classes return to the Bay County School District for the first time since the program was cut to save money about a decade ago. Panama City News Herald. (more…)
Low graduation rates: Thirty percent of Florida's high schools were considered to be "low-graduation rate high schools" in 2014, according to a report by America’s Promise Alliance and other advocacy groups. Only Alaska and New Mexico were worse. Politico Florida.
Pre-K spending: Florida ranks just 39th in spending on pre-kindergarten, according to the annual State of Preschool Yearbook from the National Institute for Early Education Research. The state spends $2,304 per child. The national average is $4,489. The state's enrollment fell by 3 percent, or 3,744, from 2013-14 to 2014-15. Florida Times-Union.
IG urged for district: Broward County School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson wants the district to hire an inspector general to investigate fraud, waste and mismanagement in the district. An outside auditor made that recommendation five years ago after a grand jury report found widespread corruption and misuse of money. The idea was not supported then, but recent financial problems in the district led Levinson to suggest it was time. Sun-Sentinel.
Superintendent under fire: The St. Petersburg NAACP is calling for the resignation of Pinellas County School Superintendent Mike Grego, alleging that he has not taken responsibility for the problems at five predominantly black, failing elementary schools in St. Petersburg or come up with a plan to improve them. Grego says he has no plans to resign. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter debt forgiven: Newpoint Education Partners is forgiving the nearly $1 million debt it says it is owed by Windsor Prep Academy, according to a lawyer for the school. Newpoint was indicted last week by an Escambia County grand jury on grand theft and money laundering charges. The Pinellas County School Board will vote next week on a proposal to terminate the contracts with Windsor Prep and two other Newpoint charter schools in the county. WFLA. (more…)
Board member arrested: Palm Beach School Board member Mike Murgio is arrested by the FBI. Federal court records allege Murgio is connected to a bribery scheme to gain control of a credit union in New Jersey, and that the credit union then laundered money for online criminals. His arraignment is next week in New York. Murgio’s arrest could lead to his suspension from office by Gov. Rick Scott. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel.
Bathroom access: Marion County School Board members agree to consider a resolution that would restrict school bathrooms to students based on birth sex, not gender identity. If passed at Tuesday's meeting, the ban would take effect Wednesday morning. Ocala Star Banner.
FCA rep banned: A Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative has been banned from all Hillsborough County school campuses because he has a criminal record and did not undergo the district’s background check procedures. The atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation filed the complaint that led to David Gaskill being banned. The district is also requiring special training next week for all public high school sports coaches. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times.
School impact fees: The Orange County School Board votes to increase school impact fees by almost 35 percent for single-family homes. County commissioners must approve the hike, which would take effect in August. Orlando Sentinel.
STEM push: The White House and a group of public and private leaders are calling for a national initiative to teach science, technology, engineering and math to students as young as 3 or 4 years old. USA Today.
Pearson's problems: Pearson Education, the largest education company in the world, is again a subject of criticism when its computerized Common Core testing in New Jersey malfunctions and has to be postponed. It's the latest in a long list of problems Pearson has had over the years - many of them in Florida. Washington Post. (more…)
Pledge of Allegiance: A Florida House committee approves a bill that would give school districts options on how and where to post notice of a student's right not to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Objections to prominent disclaimer notices in classrooms in Santa Rosa County schools prompted the bill. Miami Herald. Politico Florida.
Testing troubles: About 15 percent of Florida students say they had computer problems during the Florida Standards Assessments testing last spring, according to the Department of Education. Orlando Sentinel.
School threats: Experts talk about the uptick in school threats across the United States, how real the threats are, how they're being made and how schools might respond. Mother Jones.
Teacher evaluations: Of the 54,000 teacher evaluations done in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties from 2010-2015, only 18 were rated as unsatisfactory, according to the Department of Education. Sun-Sentinel. In Orange County, the number of teachers rated highly effective drops from 81.2 percent to 2.4 percent. Across the state, 98 percent of teachers are rated either effective or highly effective. Orlando Sentinel.
Loan forgiveness: A study by the Center for Analysis and Longitudinal Data in Education Research finds that teachers who get loan forgiveness in return for working in high-need areas stay on the job longer than other teachers. GoodCall News.
No-tobacco zones: Brevard County schools are eliminating the use of all forms of tobacco on all school properties, officials announce. WKMG. (more…)
