Lawsuit dismissed: Florida has not failed to fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students, a circuit court judge has ruled. Judge George Reynolds III dismissed the suit brought by Citizens for Strong Schools and others against the State Department of Education and legislative leaders. The plaintiffs charged that the state's racial achievement gap, emphasis on testing and lack of adequate funding kept the state from satisfying the terms of a 1998 constitutional amendment. Reynolds disagreed. "The weight of the evidence shows that the state has made education a top priority both in terms of implementation of research-based education policies and reforms, as well as education funding," he wrote. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Orlando Sentinel. Gainesville Sun. WFSU. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Associated Press.  redefinED.

Bush is back: Former presidential candidate Jeb Bush is elected chairman and president of the board of directors of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. He replaces Condoleezza Rice. Bush formed the foundation in 2007 after two terms as Florida governor. He suspended his presidential campaign three months ago. The Hill. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Politics. Sunshine State News.

Discrimination query: Federal grants are being withheld as the Polk County School District's harassment and discrimination policies are under review by the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice. School Board attorney Wes Bridges says the move is most likely tied to the Obama administration directive saying transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom of their gender identity. Lakeland Ledger.

Bathroom rights: The Obama administration directive on allowing transgender students to use the bathroom conforming to their gender identity could lead to a boom in school bathroom construction. In an email to his colleagues, Sumter County School Superintendent Richard Shirley wrote: "Students will be expected to use group restroom facilities based on their birth gender until necessary remodeling takes place to insure the safety, privacy and comfort of all students in single unisex restroom facilities." Gradebook.

District sex survey: Citing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases rates, the Hillsborough County School Board agrees to survey students about their sexual behavior. Parents can have their children opt out. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Book banned: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a coming of age novel by Stephen Chbosky, is being removed from the curriculum at Pasco Middle School. A school-based committee made up of parents, teachers and administrators decided the book was too sexually graphic. A district committee agrees, and recommends it be banned from all district schools. That decision will be made by School Superintendent Kurt Browning. Tampa Bay Times.

Bathroom fight: A vote on a proposed change in the Duval County School District's bathroom policy is tabled after a city attorney cautioned members about making public comments. John Phillips, general counsel for the city, says any comments could be used against the board in a lawsuit brought by a mother of four district students. That mother says the current policy, which bans discrimination due to gender identity, race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, deprives her children of the "right to bodily privacy.” Florida Times-Union. Gov. Rick Scott tells an Orlando TV station: "If this federal mandate means that a man could walk into the bathroom of a young lady or the locker room of a young lady, that is clearly concerning.” It was Scott's first public reaction to the Obama administration directive to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity or face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid. WESH.

Expulsions, suspensions: A community group made up law enforcement officials, attorneys, judges, school officials and academics is trying to create a program to cut back the Sarasota County School District's use of expulsions and out-of-school suspensions. The group hopes to land a $4 million grant to create a Juvenile Court Intervention Team at some high schools. Those teams work with students to minimize time spent out of school. The district expelled the second-highest number of students in the state from 2010 to 2014. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

Testing alternatives: A bill allowing school districts to use alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments tests didn't get through this year's Legislature. But Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, says he'll make another push for the bill in the 2017 legislative session. Politico Florida. Members of the Manatee Opt-Out movement plead with school officials to work with them. But they're told the district is obligated to follow the state statutes, which requires students to sit for the tests. Bradenton Herald.

Failing schools: A report by the NAACP's St. Petersburg branch calls on Pinellas County school officials to acknowledge they have failed to provide an equal education for black students. The report also says parents feel ignored by school leaders, and that Superintendent Mike Grego should step down if the five failing schools in the black community don't make dramatic improvements. Tampa Bay Times. Teachers at Oak Ridge Elementary criticize Alachua County Commissioner Bill Proctor’s claims that their school is failing its students. Proctor recently called on the state to take over six south Tallahassee schools that are "separate and unequal" facilities. Gainesville Sun.

Confederate flag: The Indian River County School Board declines to ban the display of the Confederate flag from school campuses. "We can't legislate morality," Superintendent Mark Rendell says. "Our job is to try to teach these kids how to be good, young citizens." TCPalm.

School choice: The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, based in Palm Beach County, is recruiting Hispanic leaders for training to lobby for school choice policies and run for elected offices. The group wants to start in Florida and then replicate the program in other states. Politico Florida.

Teacher evaluations: A change in the "deliberate practices" portion of teacher evaluations is responsible for a huge decline in the number of teachers who are rated "highly effective," Orange County School District officials tell the school board. The "deliberate practices" requires teachers and administrators to choose an area and then measure the teacher's improvement in that area. In the 2013-2014 school year, 81.2 percent of county teachers were rated highly effective. In 2014-2015, the percentage dropped to 2.4 percent. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Education legislation: A massive state education bill that widens school choice is awaiting Gov. Rick Scott's signature. The bill changes the was charter school facilities funding is distributed, limits school districts’ spending on capital projects, allows open enrollment for all K-12 public school students, grants immediate eligibility for high school athletes who transfer schools, and more. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Lakeland Ledger. News Service of Florida. redefinED. The education bill could change the landscape of high school sports in the state. Florida Times-Union. The Foundation for Florida’s Future praises the work of the Legislature on educational issues. Florida Politics. Wondering about a specific bill? This database has information on all 260 bills passed. Politico Florida.

Teacher bonuses. Five senators voted against the $49 million set aside for the state's "Best and Brightest" teacher bonus program. Politico Florida. A St. Petersburg city councilman who thinks teachers are unfairly targeted by legislators says those lawmakers should release their SAT or ACT scores. The state's teacher bonuses program, which is based partially on teachers' SAT or ACT scores, was extended for a year by the Legislature. Tampa Bay Times.

Principal autonomy: Principals in seven Florida school districts are being given greater authority to deal with low-performing public schools through a bill that was approved Friday. The districts are Broward, Pinellas, Palm Beach, Duval, Jefferson, Madison and Seminole. Officials must get approval from the state by identifying three D or F schools and offering a plan for principals at those schools to better use resources. Miami Herald.

What didn't pass: Among the major education proposals that were not passed by the Legislature: Allowing students to take computer coding to fulfill a foreign language requirement; allowing students to use alternative tests, such as the SAT or ACT, instead of the Florida Standards Assessments; requiring daily recess for all elementary students; creation of a state board to supervise charter schools; and making the education commissioner an elected position and placing it back in the Cabinet. Miami Herald. WFSU.

Kindergarten readiness: For a second straight year, the Florida Office of Early Learning will not release kindergarten readiness rates. Pensacola News Journal. Related stories: The rules for measuring kindergarten readiness keep changing. What is kindergarten readiness? Author Dr. Dana Suskind says early education offers the biggest return on investment. Suskind promotes the three T's - tune in, talk more, take turns - as keys to getting children ready for learning. (more…)

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…)

Desegregation case: The NAACP Legal Defense Fund says the Pinellas County School District is not complying with the 1964 court order governing the district's anti-discrimination efforts. So the plaintiffs in Bradley vs. Pinellas County School Board are asking a federal court to intervene to force the district to give more help to struggling black students. Another plaintiff, in the case of Crowley vs. the Pinellas County School Board, made a similar decision in April. Tampa Bay Times.

School choice debate: School choice has turned traditional civil rights allies into opponents in Florida. On one side are ministers who say the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program gives students a chance at a better education. On the other side are the Florida NAACP and teachers unions who call the program unconstitutional because it takes money from public schools. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, administers the program. Miami Times.

Teacher bonuses: Amendments continue to be added to the teacher bonuses section of one of the two big education bills in the Senate. So the vote, which was expected Wednesday, is being put off while senators sort through the proposed changes. Miami Herald.

District grades: How can a school district get an A grade when it has so many C schools? That, and other questions about the state's grading formula, are explained. Tallahassee Democrat. (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…)

Computer coding: A bill allowing Florida students to take computer coding to satisfy foreign language requirements has been weakened in the Florida Senate, which will vote on the measure today. The bill now says public schools may offer coding classes in place of foreign languages, but do not have to. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Politico Florida.

Teacher bonuses: Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, says the Senate is working on a package of its own priorities for teacher bonuses. Any differences in the bill with the House version will have to be negotiated. Politico Florida.

Alternative testing: A bill that would allow the use of alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments, such as the ACT or SAT, is still awaiting a Senate committee hearing. And there is no companion bill in the House. Sunshine State News.

LGBT policy killed: The Brevard County School Board declines to adopt a proposed non-discrimination and equal employment policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the schools. Florida Today. (more…)

School grades: After months of delays, the Department of Education releases Florida school grades for 2014-2015. The grades are similar to the projections issued in December, and will become the baseline for comparison to future grades. Twenty-two of the state's 67 districts received A grades. None received an F, and only two received a D. A grades were given to 1,169 of the state's 3,219 schools. B grades were given to 642 schools, while 859 got a C, 365 got a D and 184 got an F. The next round of Florida Standards Assessments testing is just two weeks away. Department of Education. Tampa Bay Times. Sunshine State News. WFSU. Miami Herald. Tampa Tribune. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Florida Times-Union. Pensacola News Journal. Florida Today. Fort Myers News-Press. TCPalm. Bradenton Herald. Naples Daily News. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Tallahassee Democrat. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Northwest Florida Daily News. Panama City News Herald. Daily Commercial. Lakeland Ledger. St. Augustine Record.

Fresen and charters: Florida Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, has been pushing hard in the Legislature to limit public school capital spending and to force districts to share that money with charter schools. But he's also an executive for Civica, an architecture firm that builds charter schools. Civica has built many schools for Academica, charter school management company in Florida that employs Fresen’s brother-in-law and sister as executives. Fresen sees no conflicts. “Nothing in this bill has anything to do with anything that I do for a living,” he says. Miami Herald.

Charter investigation: A Wellington charter school paid $48,000 to a company owned by the school's chairman for a loan that was never made. Eagle Arts Academy's payments to Gregory James Blount even continued after the Palm Beach School Board began investigating. Palm Beach Post.

Superintendent resigns: Polk County School Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy resigns and leaves with a $230,000 severance package. LeRoy has been a target for school board members since an investigation into complaints lodged against her by an associate superintendent. Board members say if she hadn't resigned, she would have been fired. Lakeland Ledger.

One-room school: The last one-room school in Florida is likely to close at the end of the school year. The principal of Duette Elementary is retiring and won't ask the Manatee County School District to renew the school's contract. It has just 11 students this year. Bradenton Herald. (more…)

Education budget: A Senate subcommittee approves a bill that would require the state to pay at least half of the proposed increase in K-12 spending. Gov. Rick Scott's budget calls for a spending increase of $507 million in K-12 spending, but with $427 million coming through local property taxes. Politico Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach Post. News Service of Florida.

Recess bill dies: The Senate will not take up the issue of mandatory daily recess in elementary schools. The Senate Education Committee chairman, Sen. John Legg, R-Trinity, says the idea should be handled on the local level. Gradebook.

Charter construction: Charter schools that serve low-income or disabled students would get a higher priority for capital funding under a bill passed by a Senate subcommittee. The House version of the bill provides capital money to charter schools with no such stipulations. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. Residents of Golden Gates Estates in Naples want more say about charter school locations. Naples Daily News.

Choice support: The Pinellas County School District ranks seventh in the United States in offering school choice, according to rankings by the Brookings Institution. Other Florida districts in the top 100 are Broward (15th), Lee and Seminole (tied for 16th), Dade and Duval (tied for 18th), Pasco (28th), Orange and Brevard (tied for 32nd), Osceola (43rd), Palm Beach (49th), Hillsborough (51st), and Polk and Volusia (tied for 54th). Tampa Bay Times. (more…)