Testing routine: What is Florida Standards Assessments testing like for students? Here's a typical day during testing season for a P.K. Yonge student. Gainesville Sun. Nearly a week into testing, Polk County officials say things are going smoothly. Lakeland Ledger.
Charter problems: The latest problems at Windsor Prep Academy in St. Petersburg and two other charter schools in Clearwater are putting greater scrutiny on their management company, Newpoint Education Partners. This isn't the first time Newpoint has had problems with financial issues and failing schools. WFLA. Tampa Bay Times. Tim Kitts resigns as CEO of the Bay Haven Charter Academy in Panama City. He says organizational changes stripping him of his authority leave him unable to lead. He also was the subject of complaints from two administrators. Panama City News Herald.
Campaign lessons: Anti-bullying campaigns have been in most U.S. schools for years, so this presidential campaign has been confusing for some schoolchildren. “If students are following this election – and they should be – we have a lot of re-educating to do,” Buffalo school administrator Will Keresztes said. Associated Press.
School tax holiday: The back to school sales tax holiday will be cut down to three days this August. Last year it went for 10 days. Associated Press, via Naples Daily News.
School recess: State Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, is making one last pitch for mandatory recess every day in elementary schools. But his plan faces several procedural hurdles. Miami Herald. Is your elementary school child getting the 150 minutes of physical education every week as state law requires? Palm Beach Post. (more…)
K-12 spending: Legislators are touting the record spending on K-12 education in this year's budget. But Orange County school officials and the Florida Education Association say the increase of about 1 percent doesn't even cover inflation. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, says there are greater differences between the House and Senate on education spending than on any other budget issue. Politico Florida. Lawmakers defend their compromise agreement on education spending. Politico Florida.
Education bill: Amendments are being added to one of the two major education bills in the Legislature. Several involve the teacher bonus program. Among them: deleting it, allowing teachers to use LSAT scores to qualify in addition to ACT and SAT, allowing teachers to qualify if they graduated from a college or university ranked among the top 25 nationally by the Princeton Review or other national publication at the time of their graduation, and more. Politico Florida.
School testing: More than 200 Lee County students have opted out of the Florida Standards Assessments so far. WINK. A Pasco County School Board member agrees with parents who believe students ought to be able to read after finishing their Florida Standards Assessments tests. A few state districts allow it, but those in west-central Florida do not. Gradebook.
Recess benefits: Key lawmakers believe the decision to require daily recess for elementary students should be made at the local level. But advocates say the problem is local school boards won't commit, which is why the issue landed in the Legislature. The Senate bill won't be heard, but backers aren't quitting. They say the benefits of recess are too compelling. WTSP.
Workbook removed: A fifth-grade workbook is removed from the Walker Elementary School curriculum after a parent complained about the inclusion of the phrase "Muslims pray to Allah." The reference was in a lesson helping Okaloosa County students differentiate between the words pray and prey. Northwest Florida Daily News. (more…)
Charter school bills: A bill requiring school districts to share capital funding with charter schools is heading to the House floor. The bill also would penalize schools that spend more on construction than is allowed under state law. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel. WFSU. The Florida League of Women Voters says the bill that sets up a state-appointed board controlling charter schools is "an egregious attack on public schools." Miami Herald. News Service of Florida.
Other education bills: Votes on several other education bills are expected today in the House. Among them: making the teacher bonuses program permanent and giving principals more autonomy over struggling schools. Also up for a vote is a bill requiring mandatory recess in elementary schools, but it appears to be dead in the Senate. Politico Florida.
Pledge of Allegiance: Students would be notified in a school handbook about their right to opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, under a bill approved by a House committee. Excused students would not be forced to stand or place their hand over their hearts. AP, via Palm Beach Post.
School funding formula: A bill that would change the state's formula for funding school districts is not expected to pass, according to the sponsor. Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalah, says he will try again in the next session. Daily Commercial.
Suspensions questioned: Officials from the Flagler branch of the NAACP want access to school records so they can check complaints about the district's out-of-school suspensions for black students. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Staff restructuring: Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa is cutting 58 jobs from the school's district offices and redirecting the $4.5 million savings to the district's poorest 66 schools. Palm Beach 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…)
School recess: A bill requiring a daily 20-minute recess in every Florida elementary school goes before the House's K-12 education committee today. The bill, pushed hard by parents' groups, would also prohibit schools from withholding recess as punishment. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. A large number of parents will rally for recess at the Capitol today. Tallahassee Democrat.
School transfers: A Florida Senate education committee passes a bill that would allow students to transfer to any school in Florida that has an opening, for academics or athletic reasons. Orlando Sentinel.
Capital spending: Public schools are exceeding a state-imposed limit for spending on construction projects, according to House education budget chairman Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, and he wants to reduce that cap. Some Democrats and school officials say Fresen's conclusions are oversimplified. Miami Herald.
School uniforms: The Volusia County School Board votes tonight on whether to require school uniforms for every K-12 student. Parents seem to be split on the measure, while most board members have spoken in favor. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Charter schools: The Jacksonville Urban Education Symposium on Feb. 6 will focus on charter schools as a viable educational option. Florida Politics.
Private schools. The Human Experience, a private middle school in Orlando, urges its 30 students to "do good, love well, and pursue your passion." The unconventional school has its critics, but founder Nathan Smith says the at-risk students are becoming confident and unafraid. WMFE.
Teachers rally: Thousands of teachers rally at the state Capitol to protest the state's education system. Their primary issues are overall state education funding, teacher pay and bonuses, and the reliance of testing for judging student achievement. Miami Herald. Palm Beach Post. Tallahassee Democrat. Fort Myers News-Press. Lakeland Ledger. Gainesville Sun. WSVN. WFSU. Politico Florida. Sunshine State News. Florida Politics.
Bill to governor: A bill that would expand educational options for developmentally disabled students is passed by the House and has been sent to the governor. Palm Beach Post. Florida Politics.
Athletic changes: A bill that would allow schools to join the Florida High School Athletic Association on a per-sport basis and students to transfer and immediately play sports is moving through the Florida House. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics.
Opting out of tests: House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford is urging parents to opt out of standarized assessment tests as the Legislature continues to consider further changes to the program. WFSU.
Education bills primer: Hundreds of education bills are floating around the Legislature. Here's a look at some of the most important ones. Tallahassee Democrat.
Pledge of Allegiance: Removing the requirement of posting notices that students do not have to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance will infringe on students' first amendment rights, according to the American Humanist Association. Bills in the Legislature would allow the notice to be limited to student handbooks instead of being posted in a prominent place. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teacher shortage: More teachers retiring and leaving and fewer students going into teaching add up to a shortage in several South Florida school districts. Many counties are getting creative to offer incentives to bring in new teachers. Sun-Sentinel.
School start times: The Orange County School Board is asking for community input on starting times for high schools. Orlando Sentinel. Some parents in Collier County are petitioning against starting school Aug. 10, a week earlier. They want the district to start Aug. 15. The board voted this week in favor of the earlier date. WZVN.
Gifted center: The Hillsborough County School District is taking applications for its first full-time elementary school program for gifted students. The Center for Gifted Studies opens in in the fall at Boyette Springs Elementary School. Tampa Bay Times.
School plan changes: After community input, Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says he is changing his mind about bringing middle school students into the plan that would make Ed White High School a magnet school concentrating on military leadership. Florida Times-Union.
Deaf academy closing: The National Deaf Academy in Mount Dora is closing after a series of lawsuits alleging neglect and abuse. Orlando Sentinel.
New online rules: The Pasco County School District revises its rules for online students, with more specific statements on cheating and makeup work. Gradebook.
New buses: The first nine of 200 new Hillsborough County school buses are in, the first step in replacing one of the oldest fleets in Florida. Some of the buses are propane fueled and the others are diesel. The district plans to buy 100 buses a year for 10 years. Tampa Tribune.
School impact fees: Manatee County School Superintendent Diana Greene talks to a local Republican group about school impact fees and the extension of a half-cent sales tax. Bradenton Herald.
Superintendent suit: Greg Rivers, the associate superintendent in the Polk County School District who has filed a complaint against Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy, has received generally high marks on evaluations but was once reprimanded for verbally abusing an employee. Lakeland Ledger.
Water polo: Gainesville High School becomes the 73rd school in the state to start a water polo team. Gainesville Sun.
Student arrested: A girl is arrested and accused of slashing her ex-boyfriend with a knife during lunch at Charles W. Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines. Sun-Sentinel.
Principal disciplined: Boca High School Principal Geoff McKee is reprimanded for using the school's football field to propose to his girlfriend. He hadn't formally leased the field, which is a violation of school district policy. Palm Beach Post.
Bus fight sentencing: A West Palm Beach woman who attacked a Palm Beach County school bus driver two years ago is sentenced to three days in jail. She and two others were angry that the bus driver was making students from Westwood Elementary School line up before they could get off the bus. Palm Beach Post.
Opinions on schools: Finally, there are signs of sanity prevailing in Florida on student testing. Sun-Sentinel. For many people, school choice is an issue of equality. Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin, Florida Times-Union. Changes in the state's school grading system don't change the value of Martin County schools. Charles Gerardi, TCPalm. The disparity between school dress codes for boys and girls is no secret, and should be eliminated immediately. Niyin Smith, Gainesville Sun.
Student enrichment: The St. Johns Middle School Athletic Association has stepped in to help a Sebastian Middle School soccer player who is diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. St. Augustine Record. Pinellas Technical College is offering free instruction in STEM subjects to elementary and middle school students in south St. Petersburg on six Saturdays from February through April. Gradebook. Florida Virtual School students, teachers and parents take a field trip to the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park near Crestview. Crestview News Bulletin. Some students at Seacrest Country Day School in Naples are lobbying the school to join the Blue Zones Solution, a project encouraging wellness in Southwest Florida by changing the environment around the people who live there. Naples Daily News. About 24,000 copies of a book, Inside the Human Body, are donated to Goodwill Manasota with the stipulation that they be distributed to every child in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Engineering projects are stimulating students at the first-year Flagler County STEM Academy in Palm Coast. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Students at Woodlawn Beach Middle School in Gulf Breeze are doing DNA testing to determine the impact the invasive lionfish is having in Florida waters. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Guns, other bills: State Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, files a bill that would permit licensed concealed-carry holders to bring their firearms to elementary and secondary schools. It's the third bill he's filed that would expand rights to concealed carry permit holders. Bradenton Herald. WUSF. Dozens of education bills are filed as the Legislature opens. Politico Florida. Florida's legislative leaders promise record spending for K-12 education and an expansion of education options for people with disabilities. Politico Florida.
Proficiency questions: Bob Schaeffer, the Sanibel Island-based public education director of FairTest, doubts that the Florida Department of Education has any evidence to support its contention that scoring at Level 5 in the state assessment tests means a student is "highly likely to excel in the next grade level." Gradebook.
Teacher retention: The Lee County School Board is considering a variety of incentives, such as tuition reimbursement and helping teachers pay for their credentials, to stem teacher turnover, especially among minorities. Superintendent Greg Adkins says the district loses about 10 percent of its teachers every year. Fort Myers News-Press.
School nurse shortage: Duval County has fewer than one-third of the school nurses a federal agency says it needs, and the school board has approved a plan for fixing the problem. But any solution will cost millions and will have to wait until the district begins budget talks. Florida Times-Union.
Online curriculum: Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wants to switch middle schools to online materials, as the district has done with elementary schools. But several school board members are skeptical of the move, citing problems with the elementary curriculum. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
