Florida schools roundup: Charters, Common Core, teacher pay & more

Charter schools: Hillsborough School Board officials should ease anxiety for MacDill Air Force Base families when they consider a proposal for a new charter school at the base, writes The Tampa Tribune. The Orange County school board denies Renaissance Charters’ application for three K-8 schools, but approves Advantage Academy of Hillsborough, Inc. – a math and science charter school. Orlando Sentinel.  An 8-year-old  Miami-Dade charter school that gave hundreds of young adults a second chance at a high school diploma suddenly closes. Miami Herald. The Polk County school board votes down a maritime charter school application, fearing the school won’t be able to fill seats in a community that already has schools with low enrollment. The Ledger.

Private schools: After some tough economic times, Hernando County’s private schools report slight increases or steady enrollment numbers for the 2013-14 school year – and they attribute as a major factor greater awareness among parents of Florida’s tax credit scholarship. Tampa Bay Times.

florida-roundup-logoCommon Core:  Members of the Florida Stop Common Core Coalition are worried they won’t get a chance during the upcoming public hearings to voice their concerns. StateImpact Florida. A new survey shows almost three-quarters of teachers in the subjects of English and math think the standards will have a positive effect on students. StateImpact Florida. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart has been crafting a plan to transition the state away from the FCAT to Common Core. Tampa Bay Times.

Biz ed: The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!, prepares the next generation of CEOs in Pensacola by helping sixth- through 12th-grade students start their own successful businesses. Pensacola News-Journal.

Pay bumps: Hillsborough County school support workers get raises, with higher amounts going to bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Tampa Bay Times. A new plan for paying Broward’s principals factors in a school’s size and its number of low-income or special needs students. Sun Sentinel. With $30 million of state-allocated money hanging in the balance, the teachers union and Palm Beach County School District have yet to reach an agreement on raises. Palm Beach Post.

Future teachers: Valencia College adopts an Orange County elementary school, where most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. to attract future educators – and college students. Orlando Sentinel. 

Solar program: Twenty-one schools in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties use solar power to reduce energy costs and provide students with a learning opportunity. Fort Myers News-Press. 

School work: The Leon County School Board considers an estimated $14 million in school renovations. Tallahassee Democrat.

Principals:  Former Tampa teacher, football coach and principal Vincent Sussman, who added a new dimension to an inspirational career after a fall that left him a quadriplegic, has died. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.

Exceptional ed: The Hillsborough County school board unanimously approves new policies and procedures governing the district’s exceptional student education. The Tampa Tribune.

Charity work: A Broward County 17-year-old senior recycles used pacemakers from funeral homes. Sun Sentinel.

Bullying: Florida school districts struggle to meet requirements on tracking investigations of bullying. StateImpact Florida.

School spending: The Brevard County School District will use $8.3 million in impact fees collected by the county to help pay off debt. Florida Today. The Pasco County school district test-drives a propane bus to decide whether money can be saved by shifting from diesel. The Tampa Tribune.

Bus drivers: Pinellas County recognizes 30 bus drivers with perfect driving records. The Tampa Tribune.


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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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