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Wayne Gent

Florida Schools Roundup

Florida schools roundup: Lawsuit appeal, gifted plan, charters and more

Compiled by redefinED staff July 13, 2016
Compiled by redefinED staff

florida-roundup-logoEducation lawsuit: The groups suing the state over the quality of public education are asking an appeals court to send the case directly to the Florida Supreme Court for an immediate review. Citizens for Strong Schools claims the lengthy appeals process is harming students. The state, and groups that support the state’s position, say there’s no reason to subvert the normal appeals process. The suit was dismissed in May by a circuit court judge. Politico Florida.

Gifted plan stalls: A plan to add gifted programs at eight Duval County middle schools meets with skepticism by the school board. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says the programs are needed to curtail dwindling enrollment. School board members question why there’s a lack of programs for inner-city schools. Florida Times-Union.

Charter school searched: The FBI searches the Okaloosa Academy Charter School, and seizes several boxes of materials. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. The Fort Walton Beach school, which serves at-risk students in grades 4-12, is run by the Rader Group of Miramar Beach. Its representatives also declined comment. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Cops in schools: Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons tells the school board he wants to hire police officers for almost every county school. He says the escalating violence in the country prompted his recommendation. There are deputies assigned to all middle, high and certain alternative schools, but many elementary schools share deputies. Hiring an additional eight officers would cost the district at least $350,000 each year. In other action, the school board approved the merger of Woodville middle and elementary into a single K-8 Woodville School. Tallahassee Democrat.

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July 13, 2016 0 comment
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Florida Schools Roundup

Florida schools roundup: Retention, legal fees, school crowding and more

Compiled by redefinED staff May 31, 2016
Compiled by redefinED staff

florida-roundup-logoRetention rules: Manatee County school officials say they will not consider a student’s portfolio to justify a promotion to fourth grade if the student has not taken the Florida Standards Assessments test or a state-approved alternative. They say the state Department of Education supports their position. Bradenton Herald. Even while school districts are threatening third-graders with retention because they didn’t take the state testing or an alternative, Florida law allows the use of a portfolio as an exemption to testing. Gradebook. Parents in the opt-out movement are headed for a showdown with Manatee County school administrators. Bradenton Times.

Legal fees rapped: The state spent $3.7 million for outside counsel to defend against the lawsuit that alleged Florida failed its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. A circuit judge dismissed the suit. Now one of those groups bringing it, Fund Education Now, is criticizing the state for that expense. The Florida Senate and House split the legal fees because the suit named Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, as well as the state board and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. A Gardiner aide says the Orlando Republican is “certainly comfortable with this investment of taxpayer dollars.” Politico Florida.

School crowding: If the courts rule that the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships are unconstitutional, as the Florida Education Association alleges, the state’s already crowded schools might have to quickly absorb another 78,000 students. That could cause problems in some districts. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, administers the program. Tampa Bay Times.

Construction costs: School districts spend more on buildings using the construction manager-at risk approach than the traditional method of design-bid-build, according to a study by Clemson University researchers. The cost per square meter was $192 for the construction manager approach, and $148 with design-bid-build. The conclusion is based on a study of 137 school projects in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Engineering News-Record.

New schools planned: The Orange County School District is planning to spend up to $3 billion to build 16 schools in the next nine years to accommodate growth in the student population. Orlando Sentinel. The Palm Beach County School District is applying for a grant that could lead to the creation of an arts middle school in Boynton Beach and several other magnet programs at other schools. The grant from the U.S. Department of Education is worth $12 million over three years. Five schools would share the money. Palm Beach Post.

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May 31, 2016 0 comment
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Florida Schools Roundup

Florida schools roundup: Education commissioner, bonuses and more

Compiled by redefinED staff December 1, 2015
Compiled by redefinED staff

IMG_0001.JPGElected commissioner: Support is growing among Republican legislators for a bill that would make the education commissioner an elected, Cabinet-level position again. Many of those legislators see an elected education commissioner reversing the state’s adoption of Common Core standards. Naples Daily News.

Teacher bonuses bill: The Florida House education committee is pushing a bill that will continue paying $10,000 bonuses to teachers who are rated “highly effective” and scored in the top 20 percent on either the ACT or the SAT they year they took the exam. Orlando Sentinel.

No Child Left Behind: A rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act will expand federal intrusion into education, claims Florida Parents Against Common Core, which is joining other national groups in lobbying against the bill that Congress is expected to vote on this week. Sunshine State News.

Top Florida high school: Miami’s School for Advanced Studies – South is the best public high school in Florida, according to the latest rankings by Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools. Business Insider.

Ex-superintendent to testify: Wayne Gent, former Palm Beach County schools superintendent, will testify in the extortion trial of Clarence Freeman. Freeman is accused of blackmailing Gent and other school officials for money and favors in exchange for not divulging evidence about misconduct. Palm Beach Post.

System audit: A legislative committee unanimously approves a follow-up audit of the way the Leon County School District has handled past construction projects. Tallahassee Democrat.

School recess push: Polk County parents’ request for recess in elementary school is now in the hands of Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy. Lakeland Ledger. State Impact Florida.

Tuition for undocumented: More than a year after the Legislature approved a bill granting in-state tuition to Florida colleges for undocumented students, not a single college in Northwest Florida has enrolled any such students. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Superintendent scam: A New Jersey school superintendent will be sentenced this week for official misconduct and falsifying documents. James Habel, 58, who lives in Dunedin, Fla., took 105 days of unreported time off in Florida while he was urging teachers and other school officials in Wall Township to cut back on spending. Asbury Park Press.

No school surf club: New Smyrna Beach High School is passing on sanctioning a surf club. Students who recently started the club were hoping a school affiliation would allow them to compete against other surf clubs around the state. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Bus driver honored: Kerra George, the Palm Beach County school bus driver who acted quickly to evacuate 35 students when one of them reported smelling smoke in the bus, is honored by Superintendent Robert Avossa. Palm Beach Post.

School groundbreaking: Lake Worth Christian School students and staff break ground on a $2.1 million expansion of the elementary school in Boynton Beach. Palm Beach Post.

Psychologist penalized: The Department of Education revokes the license of former North Port High School psychologist Harvey Dorey, 45, after he was found guilty of fondling a teenager. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Opinions on schools: Palm Beach County Board member Michael Murgio should acknowledge his role in the school bus crisis at the beginning of the school year. Palm Beach Post.

Student enrichment: More than 1,000 girls are participating in the Girls on the Run of Northeast Florida program, which aims to build self-esteem through running and other after-school activities. Florida Times-Union. Satellite High students place second in the Quaker State Motor Oil national car restoration competition. Florida Today. Students at Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School are designing phone apps and experimenting with wireless electricity to prepare for competitions. Lakeland Ledger. More than 700 Manatee County Technical Student Association members will compete in several events to prepare for the statewide competition. Bradenton Herald. Condiments created by students at Immokalee High School are now being sold at 14 Collier County grocery stores. Naples Daily News.

December 1, 2015 0 comment
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Florida Schools Roundup

Florida schools roundup: Charter schools, lawsuits, teaching and more

Travis Pillow January 23, 2015
Travis Pillow

florida-roundup-logoCharter schools. The Duval school board prepares to close a struggling charter school and transfer 70 students. Florida Times-Union. The Bradenton Herald checks in with a high-profile all-boys charter school.

Teaching. The Pinellas school district plans to spend $1 million to improve classroom management at struggling elementary schools. Tampa Bay Times.

Public opinion. School choice advocates release a poll finding strong national support for charter schools, vouchers and other educational options.

Superintendents. Volusia’s superintendent, under fire, may be headed for the exits. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Palm Beach’s outgoing Wayne Gent applies to lead a nearby district. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Hillsborough’s ousted MaryEllen Elia is feted by county commissioners. Tampa Tribune.

Lawsuits. An Escambia school board member writes a column critical of the lawsuit challenging Florida school choice programs. Watchdog.org.

Bullying. An Orlando bullying victim creates a professional quality anti-bullying music video. Sentinel School Zone.

School calendars. Okaloosa’s superintendent proposes doing away with early release days. Northwest Florida Daily News.

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January 23, 2015 0 comment
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Achievement GapBlog AdministrationEducation LegislationEducation PoliticsEducation ReportingParent EmpowermentParental ChoiceSchool BoardsTeacher QualityTesting and AccountabilityUnionism

Florida roundup: Advanced Placement, tutoring oversight, Common Core & more

Ron Matus February 21, 2013
Ron Matus

AP results. Florida students rank No. 4 in the nation in the percentage of graduates passing an AP exam. redefinED. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. Tallahassee Democrat. Orlando Sentinel. CBS Miami. Florida Today. Associated Press. Fort Myers News Press.

FL roundup logo snippedTutoring oversight. The Tampa Bay Times elevated a handful of bad actors to taint the overall tutoring effort in Florida and ridicules a program championed by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy to help low-income families, writes Steve Pines, executive director of the Education Industry Association, in an op-ed response to the Times series and editorial.

Teacher evals and school grades. Despite the concern of Education Commission Tony Bennett and others, the two systems are not meant to be in sync. Shanker Blog.

More conspiracy! Now in Education Week.

Class size flexibility. There’s bipartisan support for a bill to provide that. StateImpact Florida.

Common Core. Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett talks more about the why’s behind Plan B. Education Week.

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February 21, 2013 0 comment
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Blog AdministrationCharter SchoolsCourtsEducation ReportingParental ChoiceSchool BoardsSchool ChoiceTeacher Quality

Florida roundup: Ed reform duel, charter school competition, principal pay & more

Ron Matus January 16, 2013
Ron Matus

duelFlorida reform duel. At Jay P. Greene’s Blog, researcher Matthew Ladner responds to a recent critique of Florida’s reforms from Matt Di Carlo at the Shanker Institute. If you want a serious discussion of what’s working or not in Florida, including the impact or not of school choice, these guys are among the ones to read. Ladner’s conclusion: “The problem for Florida reform skeptics, in short, is that there simply isn’t any other plausible explanation for Florida’s gains outside of the reforms. … With large aggregate gains and plenty of positive research, the reasonable course is not to avoid doing any of the Florida reforms, but rather to do all of them.”

School security. Superintendents discuss the issue with the Senate Education Committee, reports the Tampa Bay Times. More from SchoolZone. Committee chair John Legg says he’s not hot on the idea of arming teachers, reporters News Service of Florida. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gaultier says he’s not hot on the idea of armed officers in every elementary school, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Broward school board members worry about the cost of extra school resource officers, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Cape Coral charter schools hire one, reports the Cape Coral Daily Breeze. The Hillsborough school board shoots down Superintendent MaryEllen Elia’s plan for armed guards in every elementary school, with some calling it overboard and too expensive, reports the Tampa Tribune. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Charter school growth. Florida adds 67 charter schools this year, helping the national number top 6,000, according to new numbers from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, reports SchoolZone. More from StateImpact Florida.

Better Burger vs. Bigger Burger. School boards have too big a conflict in interest in approving charter schools. EdFly Blog.

Sushi. Culinary students at Coral Gables High learn how to make it. Miami Herald.

Teacher evaluations. The Pinellas school board tweaks its state-mandated system, but still doesn’t like it. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay. More on the merit pay court challenge. Tallahassee Democrat.

Teacher input. Get more of it. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher turnover. Too much of it. Fort Myers News Press.

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January 16, 2013 0 comment
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