Bills advance: A bill that would offer bullied students a state scholarship to attend private schools is approved by a Senate subcommittee. The bill for the Hope Scholarship program, filed by state Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, was approved on a party-line vote by the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee. It would become the fourth state scholarship program. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer two of them. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. redefinED. Politico Florida. A bill that would require high school students to pass a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement has been approved by a Senate subcommittee. The bill, which was filed for the fifth straight year by state Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, got unanimous support from the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Prospects for the bill are uncertain. Some legislators say it would further cut into time needed for other requirements. News Service of Florida. Gradebook.
Teachers save student: Two Palm Beach County teachers are credited with saving the life of a 3rd-grader who accidentally stabbed himself in the arm with a pencil and punctured an artery Nov. 1. Kolston Moradi was waiting to be picked up from Equestrian Trails Elementary School in Wellington when the accident happened. Blood began gushing when Kolston removed the pencil. Reading teacher Mandi Kapopoulos used her shirt sleeve as a tourniquet, and ESE coordinator Elizabeth Richards grabbed gloves and pressed on the boy’s wound with her hands. The emergency medical technician said Kolston could have died if the teachers hadn't acted quickly. Sun-Sentinel.
School flexibility: A Miami-Dade County lawyer who sits on the state Constitution Revision Commission is proposing that high-performing traditional public school districts get the same exemptions from state statutes that charter schools are given. "I'm a big believer in choice," says Roberto Martinez, a former Florida Board of Education chairman. "And choice works both ways." Martinez's amendment defines high-performing districts as those that maintain a B grade or higher from the state in two years out of a three-year period, not drop below a C, and keep financial reserves above the state-required minimum. The commission will decide by May what amendments are placed on the ballot. Gradebook.
Teacher recruiting: The Palm Beach County School District is trying to fill open positions in part by recruiting teachers from neighboring Broward County. Broward teachers have received postcards boasting about Palm Beach County's "highest teacher salary in south Florida" as well as affordable health insurance.“We’re trying to think differently about how to attract teachers. The traditional ways don't work,” says Palm Beach County schools chief human resources officer Gonzalo La Cava. Thirty-eight Broward teachers have moved to Palm Beach County this year, which is slightly more than in 2016. Sun-Sentinel. If the best teachers in Manatee County are driving south to Sarasota for better pay, Manatee County School Board member Charlie Kennedy says, Manatee should offer the same pay scale as Sarasota. Kennedy says the proposal could improve the chances of voters approving a 1-mill hike of property taxes in a special election in March. Bradenton Herald.
H.B. 7069 lawsuit: The Collier County School Board will decide this week whether to join other districts in suing the state over the constitutionality of the new education law, H.B. 7069. The bill will force the district to share $3 million in property taxes with the county's six charter schools. Naples Daily News. Florida students need access to charter schools as an alternative to failing public schools, says State Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton. He also criticized school officials who are suing over the state education bill, which encourages more charter schools to open. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Retention bill: State Rep. John Cortes, D-Kissimmee, files a bill that would end the state rule requiring retention for 3rd-graders who don't pass the state reading test or have a good cause exemption. Cortes filed the same bill in the last legislative session, but it never got a committee hearing. Gradebook.
State oversight bill: State Rep. Kim Daniels, D-Jacksonville, files a bill that would increase state oversight of local school board financial management. Last summer, Daniels joined Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville, in criticizing the Duval County School Board for not requesting an audit after district officials discovered they had spent $21 million more than budgeted. Florida Politics.
Teacher prep rules: The U.S. Education Department issues guidelines for states to rate colleges' teacher preparation programs on an annual basis. The ratings would track teachers after graduation and show how they perform, which is intended to help aspiring teachers decide on which college to attend and to improve the colleges' programs. The states will rate the programs as effective, at-risk, or low-performing. Washington Post. Education Week.
Scholarships appeal: The groups challenging Florida's public education adequacy continue to focus on school choice, and are targeting the state's McKay scholarship program for children with special needs in their appeal. The program helps 30,000 Florida children with special needs pay private school tuition. The groups call the program unconstitutional. redefinED.
Hiring freeze: A hiring freeze that is requiring reshuffling of some educators back into empty classrooms will affect success coaches hired by the Hillsborough County School District to work closely with at-risk students, according to a district memo sent to employees. Gradebook.
Contract negotiations: The proposed contract between Pinellas teachers and the school district includes a guarantee of renewal for teachers on annual contracts who are judged to be effective or highly effective. Gradebook. (more…)
School testing: The Lake County School Board is asking the Legislature to replace the Florida Standards Assessments test with another nationally accepted assessment test. Daily Commercial. Florida testing is putting a strain on high school marching bands in the Miami area. The state requires reading intervention for middle-schoolers with low test scores, which leaves less time for band classes. So fewer students are taking those classes, leading to lower participation at the high school level. WLRN.
Class sizes: The city of Miami Beach is asking Florida superintendents to help convince state legislators to close loopholes in the state class-size rules. "The Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach consider the education of its residents to be a top priority and has one of its key intended outcomes to achieve K-12 educational excellence," the resolution states. Gradebook.
Equal education: Lee County School Board members are considering changing the school assignment process to provide more equality in education throughout the district. Some members believe specialty programs are overtaking some schools, which is concentrating high-achievers in some schools and low-achievers in others. Fort Myers News-Press.
Racial disparities: Civil rights activists argue that the Hillsborough County School District should not be released from a federal investigation into racial disparities in teaching and discipline. They say the district has not shown that it's on the way to providing equity. Tampa Bay Times.
Schools reopening: Most school districts around the state are open today after missing several days due to Hurricane Matthew. Florida Times-Union. St. Augustine Record. Florida Today. WFTV. News Service of Florida.
Makeup days: Pinellas County school officials say they won't require students to make up the day lost to Hurricane Matthew. Gradebook. (more…)
Some schools still closed: Communities along Florida's east coast are recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew last week, and schools in several districts remain closed today. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. WJAX. Florida Today. Palm Beach Post. WFTV. St. Augustine Record. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Fernandina Beach News-Leader. TCPalm. Palm Coast Observer. WWSB. The National Guard is helping get schools ready for the return of students. Associated Press. Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa says the district will come up with a new half-day plan for possible use in future emergencies. Avossa drew some criticism last week when he declined to cancel the scheduled half-day Wednesday as Matthew was approaching the coast. Avossa said the logistics of arranging for buses would have been impossible. Palm Beach Post. Miami-Dade students are helping with hurricane relief efforts for Haiti. WSVN.
Makeup days: Some students may not have to make up the days lost when Hurricane Matthew struck last week. The state requires schools to have 180 days of classes, but that can be cut to as few as 170 if school districts have enough extra time built into their days. Sun-Sentinel. In several central Florida counties, makeup days are already scheduled. Orlando Sentinel.
Rookie teachers: Hillsborough County school officials are struggling to correct the longstanding problem of low-income schools having the least experienced teachers. An analysis shows that the district's seven designated "Elevate" schools have low-income rates of 88 percent or higher, and 11 percent to 47 percent of the teachers are starting their first year. At several other schools with low-income rates ranging from 11 percent to 24 percent, first-year teachers make up 5 percent or less of all teachers. Tampa Bay Times. The Pinellas teachers union and the school district collaborate to provide mentoring to first-year teachers. Tampa Bay Times. Twelve percent of all public school teachers are in their first or second year, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data. Education Week. (more…)
Matthew's impact: As Hurricane Matthew works its way up Florida's east coast, many of the state's school districts remain closed today. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. WUSF. WFLA. WTSP. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Ocala Star Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daily Commercial. WCTV.
Charter schools: Just a week after the U.S. Department of Education announces it will make $245 million available for the expansion of charter schools, an audit raises concerns about ties between some charter school boards and management companies that run their schools. Charter groups acknowledge some of the problems, but point out that some charter organizations show strong outcomes for low-income students. U.S. News & World Report.
Consequences of a tweet: A St. Petersburg high school senior who sent a "joke" tweet now wishes he hadn't. Luke Boswell inserted a clown photo into a tweet to his friends Monday. It was quickly passed around Northeast High School, spooking students and drawing attention from the police. Boswell was suspended for a day and lost his spot on the homecoming court. "If I could take this back, I would in a heartbeat," Boswell says. Tampa Bay Times.
Prepaid enrollment: The Florida Prepaid College Board approves college savings plan prices for the 2016-2017 open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Feb. 28, 2017. Florida Prepaid College Board. (more…)
Storm-watching: Many Florida school districts close in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Matthew. Governor's office. Associated Press. Romper. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Florida Times-Union. Florida Today. Lakeland Ledger. WUSF. WTSP. Daily Commercial. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal. St. Augustine Record. Citrus County Chronicle. Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa defends his decision to keep schools open for a half-day Wednesday as scheduled. Palm Beach Post.
Charter school capital: An association of independent charter schools will get an administrative hearing on its challenge to the Florida Board of Education's rule that low-rated charter schools cannot get state money for construction and maintenance. The Florida Association of Independent Public Schools and two Miami charter schools argue that the rules discriminate against charter schools that serve low-income students. redefinED. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida.
Charter oversight: An internal audit criticizes the U.S. Department of Education's oversight of charter schools. Twenty-two of the 33 charter schools studied in Florida and five other states had financial and performance risks, conflicts of interest due to close relationships between charter school boards and their management companies, and a lack of accountability on federal funds, according to the audit. Answer Sheet, Washington Post. (more…)
Storm-watching: Many school districts along Florida's east coast are closing Thursday and Friday because of Hurricane Matthew, while others are monitoring the path of the storm before deciding. Miami Herald. WSVN. Orlando Sentinel. WFTV. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. WPBF. Florida Times-Union. WJXT. WTVJ. Florida Today. Lakeland Ledger. WFLA. Daytona Beach News-Journal. St. Augustine Record. Osceola News-Gazette.
Open enrollment: The state's new school open-enrollment law hinges on the definition of available spots at schools, and each school district is being given the discretion to make the rules that define open spots. Palm Beach school officials are considering adopting a narrow definition that would put open enrollment off-limits at more than 30 schools that have capacity according to state guidelines. Other large districts are expected to take similar steps. Palm Beach Post.
Plagiarism ban: The Palm Beach County School Board is considering a formal ban on plagiarism for all school employees. The change in the district's ethics code would prohibit “knowingly taking responsibility and credit for work performed or produced by others; or failing to acknowledge the work and contributions made by others, including any acts of plagiarism.” Palm Beach Post.
Crossing guard shortage: Some Orange County parents worry that a shortage of school crossing guards threatens the safety of their children. The sheriff's department has 34 vacancies, though an official says a dozen have been filled. Those guards are going through training now and should be working Monday. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
School banner case: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear a case brought by an ex-porn star against the Palm Beach County School District. The district removed school banners for a tutoring service run by David Mech after it learned Mech had been a porn star. Mech then sued, arguing the decision was a violation of his free speech rights. Education Week. Sun-Sentinel.
School impact fee: Brevard County commissioners will decide today whether to increase school impact fees by more than $650 on new single-family homes. Fees would decline for multifamily units and mobile homes. The school board approved the changes last week. Florida Today.
School assignments: Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning is warning Tampa Bay real estate agents that there are no guarantees a neighborhood will always be zoned for the same school. "It is unfair to allow families to believe that the homes they are buying come with certain schools when the county's growth is at its current rapid pace, requiring rezoning to keep schools from becoming over capacity," Browning wrote in a letter to agents. Tampa Bay Times.
Storm-watching: School districts along Florida's east coast are closely monitoring the progress of Hurricane Matthew. WJAX. Palm Beach Post. (more…)
