Scholarship programs upheld: A Florida circuit judge rejects a request to shut down two programs that provide state tax money for students to attend private schools. The McKay Scholarship Program, administered by the Florida Department of Education, gives students with disabilities an option to choose a private school or transfer from one public school to another that better suits students’ need. The second, a tax credit scholarship program called Personal Learning Scholarship Awards, helps low-income students. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the tax credit program accounts. Associated Press.
Turnaround specialist: Pinellas County School Superintendent Michael Grego has hired a former Tennessee principal to monitor day-to-day efforts to turn around five schools that are among the lowest-performing in Florida. Antonio Burt will consult with principals at the schools on training, hiring teachers, monitoring behavior programs and tracking student progress. Tampa Bay Times.
Class sizes violation: The Lake County School District exceeds the state’s class-size amendment in 39 elementary classrooms, according to the Florida Department of Education. Orlando Sentinel. Daily Commercial.
More portables: As the number of students in Brevard schools goes up, the school district increasingly is turning to portable classrooms. Florida Today.
School contract: The Duval County School Board approves a 1.3 percent pay hike for 780 non-union employees, such as administrators, therapists and technical managers. Florida Times-Union.
Elected commissioner: Will the state get better education commissioners if they are elected? That’s an open question that’s not answered with a look at the commissioners – elected and chosen – over the past 30 years . Gradebook.
School calendar: The Manatee County School Board is expected to approve a 2016-2017 school calendar that calls for teachers to return Aug. 4, and school to start for students Aug. 10 and end May 31. Bradenton Herald.
School properties: Collier County school officials wants to use proceeds from selling property on Marco Island to benefit several schools. Officials previously had agreed to consider using some of the money to buy land for the Marco Island Academy charter school. The school board will decide the issue tonight. Naples Daily News.
Coding as a language: Teachers and students in computer and foreign language classes talk about the bill that would allow computer coding to fulfill foreign language requirements. Gainesville Sun.
Sub shortage: Bay County schools is facing a shortage of substitute teachers. Panama City News Herald.
Board member honored: Pam Gould, a member of the Orange County School Board, is given the STAR School Board Member of the Year award, presented by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. Orlando Sentinel.
Teachers in trouble: A 28-year-old Palm Beach County high school teacher could lose his job after arranging to meet a female student at midnight to “chill.” And a middle school teacher may also be fired for pushing a student after first asking him to pick a cockroach off the floor. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel.
Student arrested: A 14-year-old freshman at Douglas Anderson School for the Arts is arrested after she allegedly pretended to be a member of ISIS and texted a threat to a schoolmate. Florida Times-Union.
Opinions on schools: Parents and teachers need to uphold the dynamics of obedience, but also prepare people to intelligently disobey when appropriate. Miami Herald. The state deserves an elected education commissioner in the Cabinet. Tallahassee Democrat.
