Tony Bennett: Fordham Institute’s Michael Petrilli weighs in on the Florida education commissioner’s decision a year ago to change an Indiana charter school’s grade: “Bennett worked to fix the problem—not, I believe, because the school was connected to a donor, but because no one would trust an accountability system that labeled even excellent schools as worthy of C’s or worse.” Flypaper. 
The Foundation for Florida’s Future also throws its support behind Bennett, saying “he fixed a problem to be accurate and fair – any accusation otherwise is false and
politically motivated.” Meanwhile, Bennett’s successor, Glenda Ritz, issues a public statement saying she already had concerns about Indiana’s A-F system and that the Associated Press report on the grade switch demonstrates the seriousness of the problems. It’s a story that may linger into 2016, says the The Maddow Blog. Bennett tells reporters in a conference call Tuesday that the AP report will not affect his ability to serve as top education official. Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau.
Budget talks: The Broward County School Board’s tentative $3 billion budget would give teachers $47 million in salaries, hire a dozen new school-based police officers and buy 100 new buses. Sun Sentinel. Orange County Public Schools has approved a tentative $1.8 billion budget – an increase of $150 million over the previous year. Orlando Sentinel. The Seminole County School Board moves to increase property taxes for a $735 million budget. Orlando Sentinel. The Polk County School Board gives initial approval to a $756.9 million budget. The Ledger. The Clay County School Board adopts a tentative $300 million budget. Florida Times-Union. The Duval County School Board OKs a $1.71 billion budget. Florida Times-Union. The Lee County School Board approves a tentative $1.29 billion budget — a decrease of about $37 million from the previous year. Fort Myers News-Press. Collier County school leaders vote to increase property taxes. Naples News. The Sarasota School Board voted to raise the property tax rates to help pay for teacher raises. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Hernando County School Board approves a $279.5 million tentative budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Pasco County School Board gives initial thumbs up to $1.05 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. Hernando County School Board members have asked the district to re-examine the $15 student activity fee that was designed to raise money during a time of shrinking budgets. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough County school leaders are still hashing out their proposed $2.8 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times.
Union talks: Palm Beach County teachers expect a raise this year, but just how much remains unclear. Palm Beach Post.
School grades: StateImpact Florida looks at which districts have the most safety net schools, noting the state average is 17.2 percent. The Florida-issued grades gives districts a chance to check the state’s work. StateImpact Florida. Polk County schools Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy vows to turn around the district’s six failing schools and save others on the brink of becoming low-performing schools. The Ledger. The Pensacola News-Journal takes issue with the grades in an editorial, saying, “Schools won’t improve until the state gets serious about funding education.” Fallout continues with four Pasco County elementary schools avoiding “F” grades only because of the state’s safety net. Tampa Bay Times.
Do-over: 290 Escambia County students will repeat first grade. Pensacola News-Journal.
Safety: A fourth-grader carried a revolver in his backpack for two days before Seminole County school officials got around to investigating a student tip and found the weapon. Orlando Sentinel. About 200 Sarasota County School District principals and other administrators take part in an all-day safety and security exercise at Riverview High School. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Tax cheats: Miami-Dade Public Schools will help Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera investigate homestead exemption fraud in an effort to collect more revenue. Miami Herald.
Champions of Change: Seth Reichelson, a Seminole County high school teacher, will be recognized at the White House for sparking interest among girls and minorities in his computer science program. Orlando Sentinel.
Legacy: Dixie County agriculture teacher Matt Cravey is remembered for his love of FFA and his ability to inspire students and future educators. Florida Times-Union.
Charter schools: The same group managing Odyssey Charter School will open a second school, Odyssey Prep, for grades K-8, bringing to 10 the total number of charter schools in Brevard County. Florida Today.
iPad training: The Episcopal School of Jacksonville in Duval County is training parents on iPads that students in sixth through ninth grade are required to have for classes. Florida Times-Union.
Cyberbullying: The Pinellas County School District will hold public hearings on its cyberbullying policy. The Tampa Tribune.
Back-to-school: Social service agencies across Hillsborough County are collecting school supplies for foster children. The Tampa Tribune.
Hot seat: Hillsborough schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia and district attorney Tom Gonzalez faced questions from board members after the pair’s conversation about public comments at board meetings was caught unknowingly on tape. Tampa Bay Times.
Adult Ed: Hernando County School District officials try again to start an adult technical education program, Suncoast Technical Education Center, set to open next month. Tampa Bay Times.
