Charter schools. In the first ruling of its kind, an administrative law judge rules the Miami-Dade school district unlawfully retaliated against administrators who backed a charter conversion. Miami Herald. A Gainesville charter school will close after learning it will likely receive another F. Gainesville Sun. A Palm Beach Post guest columnist questions a proposal to let charters share in tax revenue earmarked for arts programs.
Facilities. Leon County Schools spent more than the state average on recent additions to district schools, which, statewide, frequently exceed the statutory threshold for projects funded through the Public Education Capital Outlay. Tallahassee Democrat. An engineering report finds a Hernando middle school needs its roof fixed. Tampa Bay Times.
Tax Credit Scholarships. Catholic school principal Todd DeClemente explains the benefits of the program in a St. Augustine Record guest column. The author of a column to which he was responding is back with another item that flubs basic facts, confuses the First and Second Amendments, and makes false allegations about Step Up For Students, which helps administer the program and co-hosts this blog.
Growth. Pasco schools prepare for new construction to accommodate growing enrollment. Gradebook. Walton district officials expect to build two more schools. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Private schools. A Tampa private school listens to residents' concerns as it looks to add a performing arts center. Tampa Bay Times. A Montessori school in the Keys faces opposition to a planned new location. Keynoter.
Homelessness. A Central Florida teacher pledges to live on the streets for a month. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A Broward teacher is set to be fired after 15 years of problems. Sun-Sentinel. A teacher is suspended for failing to report child abuse. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Nutrition. Some school districts offer free breakfast and lunch in schools with a high density of low-income students; others do not. Orlando Sentinel.
Tax credit scholarships. Will the program drain $3 billion from public schools? Mostly false. PolitiFact.
Politics. Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab chides a local school board candidate who attacked the "toxic culture of education" for over-the-top political rhetoric.
Philanthropy. Teach for America recruits appear to be helping Miami-Dade students in math but not reading, a study shows. Miami Herald. An alumna of the program from Brooksville is now an "education superstar" in DC public schools, a Tampa Bay Times columnist writes. A prep school student raises money for laptops at a nearby Title I school. Tampa Bay Times. A Gates Foundation program aims to help more Jacksonville students receive full scholarships. WJCT.
Testing. Some superintendents question falling FCAT writing scores. Tampa Bay Times.
Administration. Administrators reprimand a Hernando County band director who rallied parents behind his program. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach school baord approves hires. Palm Beach Post.
Labor. Collier County teachers say if they're required to be on annual contracts, their principals should be, too. Naples Daily News.
STEM. A UF project aims to help students improve in algebra. StateImpact.
Facilities. Escambia County school district sells off the last of its vacant property. Pensacola News-Journal.
Summer. The City of Jacksonville runs camps for at-risk kids. Florida Times-Union. Libraries in the city aim to help students over the summer. Florida Times-Union.
Employee conduct. A Hillsborough teacher faces criminal charges after leaving the scene of a car wreck. Tampa Bay Times.
Special needs. A new option could soon replace a closing charter school for students with autism. Tampa Bay Times.
Career education. Hillsborough maritime studies programs position students for high-demand jobs. Tampa Bay Times.
Accreditation. Miami-Dade could soon become the largest accredited school district in the country. Miami Herald.
Dual enrollment. An award-winning graduate could start college as a junior. Palm Beach Post.
Digital learning. Junior Achievement goes digital. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards. The Naples Daily News looks at fundraising in local school board races. A Manatee school board challenger defends his residency to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Gov. Rick Scott's appointee to the Sarasota school board proves controversial. Herald-Tribune.
Competition. If school district employees are enrolling their children in private schools or charters, Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning wants to know why, and what district schools can do better. Gradebook.
Special needs. Teachers help a child, born prematurely, to make it to kindergarten. Tampa Bay Times.
School choice. A move to open enrollment would give the Marion County school district more class-size flexibility. Ocala Star-Banner. A new choice program helps grow enrollment at a struggling elementary school. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. A Hernando County charter school with a mission focused on STEM wraps up its first year. Tampa Bay Times.
Graduation. Two friends find success at Tampa private schools. Tampa Bay Times. A grieving mother accepts a diploma on behalf of her son. Tampa Tribune. A Tampa Bay Times columnist weighs in on efforts to do away with valedictorians and other honorary titles. Palm Beach school officials wade through disputes over students' final class rankings. Palm Beach Post. Florida's graduation rate remains lower than those in other states, but it's improving more quickly. redefinED.
Digital learning. Miami-Dade schools use bond sales to finance the purchase of interactive white boards. Miami Herald.
Budgets. Hernando schools lift a hiring freeze. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. The second round of FCAT scores is set to be released today. Gradebook. School Zone.
Teacher evaluations. The state teachers union files an appeal in its ongoing lawsuit. School Zone. Tampa Tribune.
School safety. Broward schools' police chief resigns. Sun-Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A teacher fired last month is accused of improperly helping students on tests. Naples Daily News. A St. Lucie teacher is arrested and charged with giving alcohol to a minor. Scripps.
School boards. The director of a Manatee technical institution declares her candidacy. Bradenton Herald.
Class size. Duval County schools could achieve more flexibility by designating more "schools of choice." Florida Times-Union.
Catholic schools. A Tampa Catholic school is back "in the black." Tampa Tribune. Citrus County parents hope to get their school there, too. RedefinED.
Tax credit scholarships. Parents should have more options, one parent writes in the Sun-Sentinel. The Tampa Bay Times and the Palm Beach Post publish editorials denouncing legislation that would expand the program. An amendment set to be heard today on the House floor would remove a proposed increase in the scholarship cap. News Service of Florida.
Crowding. A Pasco County high school abandons a plan that would have had some students taking classes from home during the day. Tampa Bay Times. Escambia schools work on plans for building, repairing and rezoning their schools with the help of a tax voters would need to approve. Pensacola News-Journal.
Teacher evaluations. The Tampa Tribune writes up the VAM-free approaches being tried in Pinellas, and reports the Gates Foundation is now evaluating Hillsborough's program.
School boards. The Brevard board sets a new school closure policy. Florida Today. An assistant principal enters the race for a Hernando County seat. Tampa Bay Times.
Four Florida school districts again rank in the Top 25 big districts nationally when it comes to providing meaningful school choice, according to the latest annual report from the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution.
The Duval County and Miami-Dade County school districts tied at No. 13, the report says, while the Pinellas County School District comes in at No. 19. All three districts earned C+ grades. The Brevard County School District was one of eight Florida districts to earn a C, coming in at No. 22.
The rankings are based on 13 categories, including the breadth and quality of learning options, including charter schools, magnet schools and virtual courses, and the accessibility of private schools through vouchers and tax credit scholarships. The think tank also looked at how well districts close or restructure undersubscribed schools; if they provide comparative data to parents; and whether they provide transportation to choice schools. (See the scoring guide here.)
There wasn’t much fluctuation from last year’s rankings, when Miami-Dade came in No. 10. The Recovery School District in New Orleans was again No. 1 (with an A), followed by New York City (with an A-). Denver climbed from No. 24 to No. 5 after moving to a common application for all public schools, including charters.
In all, 14 Florida districts are on the list. Thirty-four districts nationwide received F grades, including Osceola in Central Florida. (See scoring for each district here.) (more…)
Report cards: Palm Beach County second-graders won't see traditional A-F grades on report cards this year as the district moves toward a standard-based system. Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools: There are already 40 charter schools in Palm Beach County, serving 12,000 students, with another 11 set to open this fall. Palm Beach Post.
More magnets: Palm Beach County school board members want more arts high school and middle school magnet programs. Palm Beach Post.
Tony Bennett: Indiana school officials continue to investigate school grading manipulation that could result in changes to that state's system created by Tony Bennett. Associated Press.
Back to school: One of Central Florida's largest back-to-school events, which has drawn 30,000 people, will be held this year at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando Sentinel.
FCAT: "Don't, don't, don't focus on the FCAT," Pasco County schools Superintendent Kurt Browning tells the staff at Lacoochee Elementary, a D school tapped by the state for a turnaround. "I don't care about FCAT. I don't." Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher conduct: A special-education specialist fired for her role in a high-profile scandal is reinstated by the Miami-Dade School Board. Miami Herald. Another Manatee County school administrator is placed on paid leave during an ongoing investigation into a former football coach accused of groping students. The Tampa Tribune. More from the Bradenton Herald.
Library cuts: The Miami-Dade School Board may open some of the district’s libraries after hours to offset the closure of some 14 facilities. Miami Herald. (more…)
Charter schools. An all-boys charter is set to open next month in Bradenton. Bradenton Herald.
Teacher of the year. It's Dorina Sackman, an ESOL teacher at Westridge Middle School in Orange County. Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press. The Florida Times Union has coverage on finalist Apryl Shackelford from Duval; the Fort Myers News Press on finalist Patricia Gair from Lee; the Sarasota Herald Tribune on finalist Katrin Rudge from Sarasota County.
Ed reform. Lloyd Brown at Sunshine State News: "When public education was hijacked by liberals it began a downward spiral."
School grades. Tony Bennett might wait until next week to offer his take on possible revisions. Gradebook. Add the Tampa Tribune to the list of papers reporting on districts bracing for bad news.
School spending. Schools need more training and more central control to get a better handle on cash-handling problems, say members of a district auditing committee in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Post.
School discipline. Alachua school board members and others meet to discuss alternatives to out-of-school suspensions, which top more than 100 a year at some schools. Gainesville Sun. Three Pinellas teens are arrested for beating up a 13-year-old on a bus, reportedly breaking his arm. Tampa Tribune.
Cheating. A former teacher at a district-run charter in Miami-Dade makes the claim, leading to an investigation by district police. Miami Herald.
ESOL. The future is grim for ESOL students because of Florida's school accountability policies. Daniel Shoer Roth.
Bullying/cyberbullying. A Pasco student in a highly publicized case who beat up another on a school bus, while yet another filmed it, gets 270 days probation. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendents. Joseph Joyner gets top ratings from the St. Johns County School Board. Florida Times Union.
Parent power. Gov. Rick Scott signs into law a bill that gives parents of disabled students more say over their kid's education. Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press.
Virtual schools. Scott also signs the digital learning bill into law. Florida Current.
Charter schools. The Lakeland-based Achievement Academy, a charter for students with disabilities, plans to double enrollment to meet demand. Lakeland Ledger.
Career academies. A new firefighters academy is opening at Wellington High School next fall. Palm Beach Post.
Schools and religion. Atheist materials censored by the Orange County School District contained criticisms of the Bible. Orlando Sentinel.
School grades. The state again considers revision to the system in the face of concerns that the results will be too harsh. Tampa Bay Times. Add Treasure Coast districts to those warning parents about a drop in grades. TCPalm.com. A new task force should retract the most "onerous" changes to the grading system. Miami Herald. Or "trash" the system altogether. Palm Beach Post.
School technology. New technology in the Miami-Dade district is boosting education for students with disabilities. Miami Herald.
School spending. The state approves Manatee's financial recovery plan. Bradenton Herald. Bay plans to remove 22 old portables this summer. Panama City News Herald.
School districts. Pinellas needs to be more transparent with public records. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Charter schools. A circuit judge denies a Pasco charter school's expansion plan. Tampa Bay Times.
Virtual schools. A Fort Myers charter tells parents, wrongly, that they must pay $425 if their kids fail to complete Florida Virtual School classes. Associated Press.
Class size amendment. Students down, teachers up. Intercepts.
Ed schools. Florida State College at Jacksonville, one of five state schools rated substandard in NCTQ's new report, says the group got it wrong. StateImpact Florida.
Science. Florida should adopt science standards from California and/or Washington D.C. (and not the Next Generation Science Standards), says state Board of Education member John Padget. Gradebook.
Tech. Broward says it only has $16 million for $59 million worth of technology needs, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami-Dade adopts a $63 million plan to ensure every student has access to a digital device by 2015, reports the Miami Herald.
Teacher conduct. A Hernando teacher is suspended for 10 days without pay for allegedly yelling at a student for several minutes, making disparaging racial remarks and throwing a backpack at his chest, reports the Tampa Bay Times. A Venice charter school principal accused of intimidation and bullying has resigned, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Tutors. Alachua opts to stop giving low-income parents the ability to choose private tutors. Gainesville Sun. (more…)
