Bible course bill: A bill that would require all Florida public high schools to offer an elective course on the Bible is approved in an 11-3 vote by the House PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee. The course would not be mandatory, and it also will be focused solely on the Bible. But the bill sponsor, Rep. Kim Daniels, D-Jacksonville, says it is intended as an "objective study of religion" and is simply a "literacy course." Some lawmakers question whether the bill could survive a court challenge. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. WKMG. Florida Phoenix. WFSU.
Civics education bill: The House PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee also approves a bill that would require middle school students to take a civics education course to advance to high school. The course would be reviewed for effectiveness by the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, a partnership between the University of Florida and University of Central Florida. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Vance Aloupis, R-Miami. Associated Press. (more…)
Federal scholarship proposal: A $5 billion-a-year federal tax credit scholarship program is proposed by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. If approved by Congress, the program would offer federal tax credits for corporations that contribute to groups that give students scholarships to private schools. Similar tax credit scholarship program exist in 18 states, including Florida. Step Up For Students (SUFS), which hosts this blog, helps administer the Florida program. The 74. Florida Politics. WLRN. Education Week. Since Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his intention to eliminate the 13,000-families waiting list for Florida Tax Credit Scholarships, SUFS is receiving about 800 applications a day. redefinED.
Legislative session preview: Education funding, the expansion of school choice and security in the state's schools are among the top 10 issues to watch in the 60-day legislative session that begins Tuesday. News Service of Florida. State Rep. Kim Daniels, D-Jacksonville, will miss the opening of the session to make an appearance on the 700 Club, a religious program on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Florida Politics. (more…)
Graduation paths: Florida's high schools are graduating more seniors than ever, but some legislators want to find even more alternative paths to a diploma. "It's still a big goal of mine," says state Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, the chair of the House PreK-12 Innovation committee. Several bills have already been filed. One would allow students to graduate even if they can't pass the required tests as long as they meet other criteria. Another would focus on subject mastery in middle and high schools as ways to assign grades and credits, and another would require all high schools to have advisers to counsel students with a grade point average under 2.0 about alternative graduation pathways and technical training. Gradebook.
Teaching religion: A bill is introduced into the Legislature that would require all high schools to offer students an "objective study of religion." State Rep. Kim Daniels, D-Jacksonville, who filed the bill, said examples are courses on the Hebrew Scriptures and Old Testament, the New Testament or a combination of all three. Florida Politics. Daniels also said Wednesday she is willing to agree that she broke state law by filing false financial disclosures if the Florida Commission on Ethics turns the case over to House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, to decide if further action is necessary. Florida Times-Union. (more…)
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.
H.B. 7069 lawsuit: The Clay County School Board delays making a decision about joining other districts in suing the state over the new education law, H.B. 7069. Board members cite the expense and possible repercussions. Board member Betsy Condon said she worries about“biting the hand that feeds you,” and thinks there are more collaborative ways to deal with the law than suing. So far, five districts have announced their intent to sue the state. Florida Times-Union.
Extended school days: The Pasco County School District is eliminating extended-day programs for all schools that aren't required by the state to have longer days due to low reading scores. The move will save the district about $600,000 and leave extended days in place for just four elementary schools that are among the 300 state schools with the lowest reading test scores. Gradebook. Eleven Martin County and four St. Lucie County elementary schools will start 10 minutes earlier this year to give the schools enough time to provide 20 minutes of recess daily or extra reading time to fulfill a state mandate. TCPalm.
K-12 school: The Hamilton County School Board is considering merging the county's sole elementary school into Hamilton County High School to create a single K-12 school. Superintendent Rex Mitchell says it's preferable to the options the state has given for the turnaround school by the state - closing the school and having a charter company take over, or sending the students to another school. If the state rejects the merger option, Mitchell says, the district will consider joining the lawsuit against the state over the new education bill, H.B. 7069. Suwannee Democrat.
Project overseer dismissed: The advisory committee chairman of the Miami-Dade School District's $1.2 billion school improvement plan is dismissed a week after publicly questioning the goal of the project. Ronald Frazier questioned the district's oversight in meeting requirements for the hiring of small and minority-owned businesses. He said his dismissal is "suspicious," but district officials say Frazier's contract had expired in March and was just discovered during a review. Miami Herald.
