Removing Runcie: The president of the NAACP Florida State Conference and member of the national NAACP board of directors, Adora Obi Nweze, is warning Gov. Ron DeSantis that trying to remove Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie from office would be “an extreme overreach, highly political and racist.” DeSantis has mused about removing Runcie, though he conceded last week that he doesn't think he has the authority to do so and instead might target school board members. Sun Sentinel.
Closed meetings: Tensions erupt at a Broward County School Board meeting between members over the actions of Superintendent Robert Runcie. Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa died in the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, wants meetings between parents and Runcie to be open to the public. School officials say the meetings are closed so parents can speak freely. The Sun Sentinel is suing, saying the meetings are a violation of the state's open meetings law. Meanwhile, an audio recording of Monday's meeting has been obtained. Sun Sentinel. WSVN. (more…)
Corcoran chosen: Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis has officially nominated former House Speaker Richard Corcoran for the job of education commissioner. Corcoran is a staunch supporter of school choice, vouchers and charter schools, and former Senate president Don Gaetz says Corcoran could become the "most disruptive education reformer in our state's history." Politically liberal groups and traditional public schools advocates are reacting negatively. “Richard Corcoran has a terrible track record of putting private interests over the needs of Florida’s children,” says Scott McCoy, senior policy counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center. The State Board of Education will have to approve the appointment. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. WUSF. Florida Times-Union. Tallahassee Democrat. Florida Politics. WJXT. Florida Phoenix. DeSantis' 41-person education transition committee includes, among others, state Board of Education chairwoman Marva Johnson, Florida State University president John Thrasher, former Brevard superintendent Desmond Blackburn and John Kirtley, founder and chairman of Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog and helps administer several state K-12 scholarship programs. Sunshine State News. Florida Politics. Gradebook.
Spending on schools: Spending on K-12 schools across the United States increased for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the National Center for Education Statistics. Across the country, $678.4 billion was collected and $596.1 billion was spent in the 2016 fiscal year. The average spent per student was $11,841, but the totals varied widely. The District of Columbia, for example, spent $27,067 per student, and New York spent $24,717, while Idaho spent $8,258 and Utah $8,408. Florida spent $9,176, which was almost identical to the two previous years and ranks 43rd among the states and D.C. Education Week.
Schools of hope: Fifty of 90 eligible low-performing schools have applied to the state for grants through the "schools of hope" provision in the new education law. The law creates financial incentives for charter schools to move into areas with persistently struggling schools. But it also offers as many as 25 of those low-performing schools an extra $2,000 per student for special services such as after-school and counseling programs if they submit turnaround plans that are approved by the state. The Florida Board of Education is expected to choose which schools get the extra money at its Sept. 13 meeting. Sun-Sentinel. Gradebook.
Busing misdirection: Martin County school officials misrepresented why they decided to end busing for 850 students who live within 2 miles of their school, according to a newspaper investigation. Superintendent Laurie Gaylord blamed the state for her decision to end the courtesy busing, saying the provisions of a law made it impossible to prove that the 850 students faced hazardous walking conditions and, therefore, would be eligible for busing. But state Rep. Larry Metz, R-Groveland, who wrote the law, said the intent was to improve busing access to students, not restrict it. "Their letter is completely inaccurate with regard to the effect of the bill," Metz said of the letter Gaylord sent to parents. TCPalm.
Charter group sues: A charter school group is appealing an administrative judge's ruling that the state may deny facilities funding to charter schools that receive consecutive D grades. The Florida Association of Independent Public Schools is arguing that the state should use a standard of "satisfactory student achievement" instead of school grades to determine eligibility for capital funding. redefinED.
Solar eclipse: More on what Florida schools districts are doing during this afternoon's solar eclipse. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel. Lakeland Ledger. Bradenton Herald. WBBH. Santa Rosa Press Gazette. Northwest Florida Daily News. Belle Glade Sun. WKRG. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WQAM. Associated Press. Florida Keys Weekly. Daily Commercial. WTSP. This summer, Haile Middle School principal bought 1,300 special glasses so students could view the solar eclipse today. Last week, Manatee County Superintendent Diana Greene decided that all students would be kept inside during the eclipse. Bradenton Herald. As a 10-year-old in 1991, Neil Brown took a quick look at a partial eclipse in Walla Walla, Wash. It damaged his left eye. Now a teacher at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, Brown is warning his students about the danger of looking at the eclipse without special glasses. Palm Beach Post.
Teacher bonuses challenge: A Florida administrative judge hears arguments in a challenge to the state's teacher bonuses program. The case of Cordelia Brown may hinge on the judge's definition of a teacher. Brown is a speech-language pathologist at Brentwood Elementary School. She contends she is a teacher, while the Sarasota school district says she is instructional personnel, not a teacher, and therefore is ineligible for the bonus. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Opt-out threats? Some Hernando County parents say school officials are threatening their third-graders with retention if they opt out of Florida Standards Assessments testing. A district spokeswoman says school officials are not threatening anyone, just following state law. Tampa Bay Times.
Naming contest: Early in the season, the baseball coach at Heritage High School told his players that if they won 14 games, they could name his new child, who is due in September. The team is now 13-6 with six games left. The players have voted and say if they win a 14th game, they want Rob and Julia Querry's new son to be named Benjamin Smalls Querry. It's the combination of two names from the players' favorite baseball movie, The Sandlot. Florida Today.
Turnaround proposal: The Pinellas County school district's plan to boost teacher pay by up to $25,000 a year and extend hours at five failing elementary schools still has to be negotiated, says the president of the teachers union. Mike Gandolfo says the district seems "to be in a rush to do this and I'm not in a rush to agree to it." He worries about the effect of a longer school day on teachers and students. Gradebook.
Superintendent evaluation: The Duval County School Board rates Superintendent Nikolai Vitti as an effective leader in his annual evaluation. Vitti received 41 of a possible 60 points, which puts him on the high end of the effective category and five points from being rated highly effective. Four board members graded Vitti at 44 or higher, and the three board members who have been critical of Vitti graded him in the low end of the effective category. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
