Principal kills fund-raiser: A Parent Teacher Student Association's idea to raise money by allowing students to skip the lunch line if their parents make a $100 donation has been killed by the principal after some parents protested. Brian Andrews, principal at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland, said in an email to parents that “I do not approve of any donation that is tied to any student advantage or privilege on campus. ... Nobody’s a second-class citizen here.” Jil Bevis, president of the PTSA, says "due to a clerical error, the form was inadvertently included in the orientation packets.” Lakeland Ledger. WFLA.
Back to school: Thursday was the first day of school for many Florida districts, and some others start next week. Florida Today. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Fort Myers News-Press. Lehigh Acres Citizen. Ocala Star-Banner. Lakeland Ledger. Bradenton Herald. Gainesville Sun. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Northwest Florida Daily News. Daily Commercial. Keynoter. Citrus County Chronicle. Charlotte Sun. WFLA. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough County shows a slight decline in Day 1 attendance, 196,822 this year compared with 197,064 last year. Tampa Bay Times. More than 130 Manatee County students who opted to leave their low-performing school for a better option discover the buses they were supposed to get won't be running until Sept. 4. “Unfortunately, the state was late in informing our district as to the identity of those students,” deputy superintendent for operations Ron Ciranna told his staff. “Therefore, bus transportation will not be available for these students until transportation hubs can be established.” Bradenton Herald. Hundreds of Martin County students lost their bus privileges because they live within 2 miles of their school, but the school district has no plans to add crossing guards to help them get to school safely. School starts Tuesday. TCPalm.
School start times: The Palm Beach County School Board agrees to research school start times for next year to better accommodate the needs of students and parents. Board member Debra Robinson says the subject has come up before, but that “it’s a conversation worth having again. I’d like to see a smorgasbord of choices for parents to include a choice of start times.” Most high schools start at 7:30 a.m., elementary schools at 8 and most middle schools at 9:30. Sun-Sentinel.
Secret budget meeting? A Democratic legislator says six senators hashed out a deal on the K-12 education budget last week in secret in a separate room at the back of the Senate chambers. Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, disclosed the meeting while speaking at a meeting of Democrats on Monday. Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, disputed Braynon's account, saying no such meeting took place. Miami Herald. The Palm Beach County School Board website urges parents to lobby Gov. Rick Scott to veto the state budget. Palm Beach Post. Bay County School District officials say they'll have to eliminate eight programs if the education bill becomes law. Panama City News Herald. St. Johns County school officials say they'll lose $1 million under the education bill. St. Augustine Record. Hillsborough County School Superintendent Jeff Eakins says the state budget could force the district to initiate a hiring freeze. Tampa Bay Times. State Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville, a sponsor of the education bill, defends it in an interview. WJAX.
Charter schools: Charter school advocates are celebrating the education bill passed by the Legislature. Naples Daily News. Chris Moya, a lobbyist for a charter school company, calls the education bill a victory for students, but thinks it will end up in court. WFSU.
Teacher honored: Vanessa Ko, a math teacher at Palm Harbor Middle School in Pinellas County, is named one of five finalists for the 2018 Florida teacher of the year award by the Department of Education. Ko was awarded $5,000. The winner will be announced July 13. Gradebook. (more…)
Budget battle: Gov. Rick Scott again hints that he's considering vetoing the $83 billion state budget, calling it the result of "backroom deals." “I am beginning to review the budget and I have the option of vetoing the entire budget or vetoing the items that circumvented the transparent process and do not have an acceptable return on investment for hardworking taxpayers,” said Scott. Governors often use line-item vetoes, but not since Lawton Chiles in 1992 has a governor vetoed the entire budget. Scott began signing bills Tuesday. Palm Beach Post. Tampa Bay Times. WFSU. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham calls the budget "education-eviscerating," and she joins school districts and officials in calling on Scott to veto it. Florida Politics. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics. Lakeland Ledger. Gradebook. Here are nine ways Florida schools will change if the education bill is signed into law. Tampa Bay Times. Several legislators missed the vote on the education bill because they were eating lunch or using the bathroom. Miami Herald.
School choice bills: School choice was a winner in this year's legislative session. Among the bills passed were financial incentives to attract charter schools, more money for tax credit scholarships, broadened eligibility for scholarship money students with disabilities, and money to charters for construction. redefinED. WFSU.
Other education bills: Among the less-noticed education bills that were passed during this legislative session were measures to expand scholarship programs for low-income students and those with disabilities, a state study of best practices for middle schools, and rules allowing parents and community members to challenge classroom textbooks and materials. Some that didn't pass include an attempt to allow computer coding class to be counted as a foreign language requirement, a move to bring minimum teacher salaries to the national average, and a bill to end mandatory retention of third-graders based on state reading tests. Gradebook. Lake County School Board members express disappointment that the Legislature didn't provide more relief from standardized testing. Daily Commercial.
Budget-cutting: Changes in the way the state distributes federal Title I funds will force Duval County school officials to cut deeper than they'd like in programs at their high-poverty schools. Previously, the funds came into the district, which could then decide where best to spend the money. Under the education bill passed by the Legislature, the money will be spread around to more schools and go directly to the schools. Florida Times-Union. Volusia County school officials say they have a $7 million gap between expected revenue and expenses for the 2017-2018 school year. Daytona Beach News-Journal. School officials in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties say they expect to cut 5 percent out of their budgets because of the education bill. WEAR.
Teachers honored: The Department of Education names two of the five finalists for the 2018 Florida teacher of the year award. Tammy Jerkins, a pre-calculus teacher at Leesburg High School, and Michael Miller, a fifth-grade teacher at Kissimmee Elementary School, each were awarded $5,000. The winner will be announced July 13. Orlando Sentinel. Daily Commercial. (more…)
Overtime for Legislature: Senate and House leaders can't reach a budget agreement on time to avoid an extension of the legislative session. Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says he doubts an agreement on the $83 billion budget will be reached before Friday, though House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, was more optimistic. There's a 72-hour "cooling off" period required after a budget agreement is reached but before a final vote. Corcoran says the biggest point of contention is about hospital spending. Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. Sun-Sentinel. Naples Daily News. News Service of Florida. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The House rejects a bill that would have allowed two members of any government agency, including school boards, to meet in private to discuss public business. Miami Herald.
Title I portability: Distribution of federal Title I funding continues to be a topic of debate in the Legislature. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that puts a cap on the use of Title I funds for administrative purposes and allows charter school networks to be designated as local education agencies so they can get money directly from the federal government. redefinED.
Reading coaches spared: The Duval County School Board rejects a recommendation by Superintendent Nikolai Vitti to move the district's reading coaches back to regular teaching roles. Board chairwoman Paula Wright says the district has struggled for years with reading achievement, and the board wants to make literacy a top budget priority. Vitti has accepted a job as superintendent of the Detroit school system, but has said he wants to help the board get through the budget process before he leaves. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
