Florida schools roundup: Jeb Bush, Common Core, charter schools & more

Charter schools: Lobbyist John Sullivan makes the leap from charter schools to Duval County public schools, in an effort by the district’s superintendent to compete. The Buzz. 

florida-roundup-logoCommon Core: Proponents say the new standards will make students more competitive while opponents argue against government intrusion during the final public hearing on the matter. The Buzz.  The Department of Education has received more than 7,000 emails and online comments about the new standards. Tallahassee Democrat. Florida Tax Watch weighs in on having assessments aligned with the new benchmarks. Tampa Bay Times. When it comes to Common Core, “we need the governor to lead,” writes the Sun Sentinel.

Jeb Bush: “Criticisms and conspiracy theories are easy attention grabbers,” the former Florida governor says about Common Core opponents at the Excellence in Education National Summit in Boston. The Buzz.

Class size: A group of Broward parents are angry about their school’s last-minute decision to create a new classroom inside an unused portable to meet class-size requirements. Sun Sentinel.

Teacher absences: Last school year, the Polk County school district had more than 80,000 absences among its 7,000 teachers. In about 13,000 of those instances, no substitute was available. The Ledger.

Teacher supplies: The Wishing Well, a project to provide Manatee County teachers with free school supplies, may close. Bradenton Herald.

Bullying: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd visits a middle school to talk to students about bullying. The Ledger.

Award: The Florida Education Association recognizes a Titusville pastor for his efforts to improve education in Brevard County. Florida Today. 

Walking: Escambia County schools observe Walk Your Kid to School Day. Pensacola News-Journal.

Dads: Dads group makes a difference in school. Tampa Bay Times.

Band leader: Hernando County high school band leader guides middle-schoolers, too. Tampa Bay Times.


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BY Sherri Ackerman

Sherri Ackerman is the former associate editor of redefinED. She is a former correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times and reporter for The Tampa Tribune, writing about everything from cops and courts to social services and education. She grew up in Indiana and moved to Tampa as a teenager, graduating from Brandon High School and, later, from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications/news editing. Sherri passed away in March 2016.

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