Testing. Miami-Dade dramatically scales back required assessments. Miami Herald. WPLG. StateImpact. Answer Sheet. Sunshine State News. Marion County considers seeking a state waiver from testing. Ocala Star-Banner.
School choice. Opportunity scholarships, one of Florida's least-used school forms of school choice, won't be available to new students next year. Gradebook. Charter school provisions are added to school choice legislation. redefinED. Gradebook. Scripps/Tribune.
Charter schools. Two Palm Beach charter schools, including one that is well-regarded, get bad marks from auditors. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. The district could place strict requirements on new charter schools. Palm Beach Post. The County Commission there makes way for a new charter on farmland. Sun-Sentinel. Southwest Florida's WBBH investigates Lee County charter school bus inspection records and finds not every school keeps them.
Elections. A Hillsborough school board member plans to seek re-election. Tampa Tribune. A Tallahassee city commissioner announces plans to run to lead a district in turmoil. Tallahassee Democrat.
Personal learning scholarship accounts. The Jewish Journal takes a detailed look at Florida's newest option for special needs students.
Charter schools. Some Orange County charters make substantial improvements in the latest round of school grades, while others struggle. Orlando Sentinel. Hillsborough district officials raise concerns about the budget impacts of students leaving for charters. Tampa Bay Times. Researchers study the impact high-performing charters can have on students' health. Health News Florida.
Open enrollment. Less than half of Marion's schools would have room for new students if its controlled open enrollment policy takes effect as expected. Ocala Star-Banner.
Private schools. A Volusia private school hosts a forum to reassure parents in the wake of a teacher's arrest for child pornography. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Dual enrollment. Volusia schools consider a partnership with Bethune-Cookman University. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Common Core. StateImpact and The Hechinger Report reflect on a year of following the standards' implementation.
Campaigns. Gov. Rick Scott talks STEM at a political event in Boca Raton. Palm Beach Post. More from StateImpact.
School grades. This year's elementary and middle grades, the last to be based on FCAT scores, brought more A's, more F's, and an even more pronounced trend among charter schools. Tampa Tribune. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Today. Bradenton Herald. redefinED. More than 300 schools - three times more than last year - will be required to provide an extra hour of reading instruction. Tampa Bay Times. Sentinel School Zone. Fort Myers News-Press.
Charter schools. WJXT profiles an administrator focused on turning around struggling charter schools in Jacksonville. The Palm Beach school district says it will give charters one more year of transportation services. Palm Beach Post. A new Alachua school will have a year-round schedule. Gainesville Sun.
Special needs. A district review finds problems with Broward's special education programs. Sun-Sentinel. A charter school for children with autism continues its switch to a private school. Tampa Tribune.
Campaigns. Gov. Rick Scott and Charlie Crist keep assailing each other's education records, but "neither candidate has released anything approaching a detailed education plan." Orlando Sentinel. The Northwest Florida Daily News reports on the expense of running for Okaloosa County School Board, and the Tampa Bay Times does the same in Hillsborough.
Digital learning. Pinellas schools prepare major technology upgrades. Tampa 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.
Tax credit scholarships. Florida lawmakers close out their 2014 session by approving legislation that would expand eligibility for the scholarship program and increase regulation of non-profits that administer it, including Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog. Times/Herald. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. WFSU. Florida Current. St. Augustine Record. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano pans the program in another column. Paul Cottle argues he program's lack of testing in science furthers the erosion of Florida's science standards. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Education savings accounts. The bill would create a personal learning scholarship account program for special-needs students, the second of its kind in the county. RedefinED. More from Jay P. Greene's blog.
Legislature. It was a good session for Florida's schools. Times/Herald. The final budget would boost education funding. Scripps/Tribune.
Charter schools. Fox News highlights Charter Schools USA's efforts to start a charter school on MacDill Air Force Base.
Open enrollment. Marion County schools consider universal choice. Ocala Star-Banner.
Testing. Some students pass their time during FCAT season by watching movies or playing games. Miami Herald. Florida prepares for the FCAT's replacement. Gainesville Sun. Storm-battered Panhandle schools get extra testing days. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teacher quality. The Tampa Tribune tracks down Hillsborough's "highly effective" teachers.
Special needs. Special needs students in Flagler County perform better in math than in reading. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Graduation requirements. One bill passed this session would clear up confusion over high school graduation requirements. StateImpact.
Budgets. Brevard school closure plans are not yet contained in public records. Florida Today. Manatee Schools officials need to come up with $9.3 million to shore up their reserves. Bradenton Herald. Hernando schools officials plan a sales tax referendum to fund facilities. Tampa Bay Times.
Year-round school. An idea worth considering, Palm Beach County school board members say. Palm Beach Post.
Gardens. Students at a Manatee County high school growth their own salad. Bradenton Herald.
Transportation. A district consultant says Hillsborough's school bus system is at a "breaking point." Tampa Bay Times.
Tax credit scholarships. Parents of children who receive scholarships answer critics in the Florida Times-Union and the Ocala Star-Banner. The program enhances public education, Doug Tuthill writes in the Miami Herald. He is the president of Step Up for Students, which co-hosts this blog. The president of the Alachua County League of Women Voters criticizes charters and vouchers in the Gainesville Sun. A school board member also criticizes tax credit scholarships in the Sun, focusing on religious education. State standardized testing requirements won't appease all critics, but they might help the program in the long run, Paul Cottle writes at Bridge to Tomorrow.
School choice. Private and charter schools compete with magnet and career education programs in Palm Beach County, fueling a drive to create new options. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. Hillsborough officials are scrutinizing the boards that oversee schools managed by Charter Schools USA as lawmakers debate charter legislation. Tampa Tribune. The management group Academica faces federal scrutiny. Miami Herald. The Volusia County school district prepares to end a long legal battle with a failed charter school. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Dropout prevention. Pinellas schools plan a new alternative school aimed at at-risk students. Tampa Tribune.
Digital learning. Replacing old computers won't be cheap for Marion County schools. Ocala Star-Banner. Technology helps a Southwest Florida teacher enhance instruction. Naples Daily News.
Discipline. Kindergarten students face increased suspensions, which disproportionately affect minorities. Florida Times-Union.
Testing. A computer glitch affects FCAT administration in Miami-Dade schools. Miami Herald. A group of parents and teachers protests high-stakes testing. Fort Myers News-Press. Even at the height of FCAT season, educators say kids need a chance to get outside and play. Tampa Bay Times.
Tax credit scholarships. House Speaker Will Weatherford says with tens of thousands of parents on waiting lists for tax credit scholarships, "Let us agree not to fight each other and instead fight for them." The Buzz. Senate President reiterates his call for scholarship students to be assessed the same way as public school students. Orlando Sentinel. Gov. Scott doesn't mention the scholarships or propose expansion. Times/Herald. More from the Sunshine State News. Tax credit scholarships are giving much-need options to the families who need them most, writes Rev. Robert Ward in the Tampa Bay Times.
Education savings accounts. "Personalized accounts for learning" gets a look in the House Choice & Innovation Committee. The Buzz. More from School Zone.
School choice. Counting its editorial against the proposed expansion of tax credit scholarships, the Orlando Sentinel runs a third opinion piece in a week against school choice. This one bizarrely accuses charter schools of circumventing church-state lines. The Palm Beach County School District considers a massive expansion of within-district school choice. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. One on the verge of being shut down in Broward finds a building in the nick of time. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Frank Biden, brother of Joe, is again pushing for charter schools in the Capitol. Post on Politics.
Common Core. Jeb Bush's challenge. BBC News.
School grades. Senate Education Committee votes 5-1 for a simpler school grades formula. The Buzz. StateImpact Florida, Palm Beach Post, Northwest Florida Daily News. School grades are just part of the corporate reform ideology. Folio Weekly. (more…)
Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School is developing an online course for teachers about online teaching. Getting Smart.
Magnet schools. Raising re-segregation concerns? ActionNewsJax.com.
Career academies. Alachua holds its annual forum. Gainesville Sun.
Charter schools. A charter school in Palm Beach County is starting a STEAM Academy. Palm Beach Post.
Common Core. So PARCC maybe sorta kinda isn't really out of the running after all. Education Week. Common Core critics continue to push. Gradebook. Some conservative groups aim to channel Common Core opposition into school choice support. Politico.
Turnaround schools. State officials see good and not-so-good in Pinellas. Gradebook.
School spending. Manatee puts together a comprehensive plan to address fiscal errors identified in audits. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
School facilities. Parents at a Sarasota elementary say something at the school is making their kids sick. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Principals. A Florida TaxWatch analysis lists the six best in the state, based on math and reading gains. Five are in Miami-Dade. Miami Herald. The Buzz. The Florida Current. One's in Pasco. Gradebook. (more…)
Common Core. Common Core opponents begin airing radio ads. Orlando Sentinel.
Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School adds some adult classes. Daytona Beach News Journal.
School choice. Application period for district choice programs in Pinellas begins Wednesday. Gradeboook.
School spending. Mo money, mo problems? Gradebook.
School boards. Politicking in Pasco. Gradebook.
School diversity. Community and advocacy groups in Palm Beach County need to better participate in district efforts. Palm Beach Post. The Palm Beach County School Board takes a look at a minority "equity audit" Wednesday. Palm Beach Post.
School facilities. Eight classrooms at a Polk County elementary are being closed because of mold. The Ledger.
School tragedy. Grief counselors help students after a Marion County biology teacher is murdered over the holiday break. Ocala Star Banner.
Science. Looking at "tuberous remains," Flagler County elementary school students work to think like scientists. Daytona Beach News Journal. Leon County students prepare for a robotics competition. Tallahassee Democrat.
Teacher conduct. A Walton County teacher faces a 10-day suspension for alleged disparaging remarks to a student. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Cold. Columbia County schools closed. Gainesville Sun.
Charter schools. A new charter school began readying a building for use before checking with the city of Lauderdale Lakes, which doesn't want a school on the site and is in the process of rezoning it. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Let's strive for good schools, charter or traditional, and either improve or shut down those that aren't cutting it, writes charter school supporter Tom Watkins in the Miami Herald. The principal of a district-run charter in Miami-Dade strongly denies a former employee's allegations of cheating. Miami Herald. A new charter school in Fort Myers will focus on career education. Fort Myers News Press.
Rick Scott. Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, D-Maitland, tells the governor he should take the Republican Party of Florida to task for using teachers - who were praising him - in a political video without their permission. The Buzz.
Stand Your Ground. South Florida Sun Sentinel: "A middle school student who got into a fistfight with a girl on a Broward County school bus should have been allowed to use the Stand Your Ground law to defend his actions, an appeals court ruled Wednesday."
School grades. ExtraCredit catches up on the DOE simulation showing falling grades. Too-frequent changes are taking their toll. Tallahassee Democrat. The state Board of Education decision was a battle over competing hoaxes. Palm Beach Post.
Teacher conduct. Newsome High School teacher in Tampa is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography. Tampa Tribune. From the Sarasota Herald Tribune: "Four school administrators facing allegations of failure to report child abuse and a football coach who has been accused of groping a teenager could face further scrutiny — regardless of whether law enforcement chooses to prosecute them." More from the Bradenton Herald. (more…)
