Measuring progress: Lee County School Superintendent Greg Adkins says the district will create its own scorecard for measuring school progress. “The state has changed its accountability system over 60 times. If you keep changing the system, how will we really know how well we are doing when we are being measured against a moving target?” Adkins asked at a public forum this week. Naples Daily News.
Special needs scholarships: Gov. Rick Scott signs the bill that widens educational and scholarship options for developmentally disabled students. The bill increases funding for the Personal Learning Scholarship Account program by 33 percent, to $73 million a year. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the accounts. Sunshine State News.
City school districts: A constitutional amendment that would allow cities to form their own school districts is still under consideration, says its sponsor. But Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, says he is still getting feedback and it may take more than one legislative session to get it going. The Florida Constitution now requires districts to be drawn on county lines. News Service of Florida.
Charter schools: Two virtual charter schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties could be closed after an audit discloses poor student performance, allegations of ethical breaches and hostility between the schools’ governing board and management company. Florida Virtual Academy at Broward’s governing board oversees both schools. Sun-Sentinel. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools files a brief to Florida’s Fourth District Appeals Court supporting the Department of Educations’s contention that it can review appeals when charter school applications are rejected by local school boards. National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. The Pasco Charter Academy, which was initially rejected but later approved by the Pasco County School Board, won’t open until the 2017-2018 school year. The school will be run by Charter Schools USA. Gradebook.
School recess: A bill moving through the Florida Legislature would require recess for elementary students. The playtime would be supervised and unstructured, and could not be withheld as punishment. The biggest issue appears to be finding 20 minutes in the day for recess. Bradenton Herald.
Discipline changes: Pinellas County school officials are changing some guidelines on discipline. Six minor offenses will no longer be reasons for out-of-school suspensions, and area superintendents must sign off on most in-school or out-of-school suspensions. Gradebook.
Illegal bus passings: Orange County had more illegal school bus passings than any county in the state, according to a Florida Department of Education survey that recorded such actions on a single day during the 2014-2015 school year. Orlando Sentinel.
Long bus rides: Santa Rosa County officials are concerned that enrollment growth could result in some students riding a school bus 90 minutes a day. Pensacola News Journal.
School improvements: Melrose Elementary School in St. Petersburg is a candidate for renovation or relocation. But members of the Pinellas County School Board aren’t happy with the proposed relocation site, and expect to get input from the community before making a decision. Tampa Bay Times.
Change in plans: Duval School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti embraces an advisory committee’s plan for transforming Fort Caroline Middle School into an IB school with an emphasis on the arts. Vitti had proposed locating the Young Men’s Leadership Academy at the school. Florida Times-Union.
Workers get a raise: Non-teaching employees in the Brevard County School District are receiving a raise of 5.1 percent, retroactive to July 1. Florida Today.
Early-release days: The Marion County School Board supports the 2016-2017 school calendar as is, despite some opposition to the inclusion of early-release days. Teachers argue that the days are necessary for professional development and collaboration. The board’s formal vote will come later. Ocala Star Banner.
School rezoning tabled: The Clay County School Board puts a hold on a plan to rezone 16 schools to ease overcrowding at Oakleaf area schools and to accommodate growth. Florida Times-Union.
Teacher’s invention wins: Jerry O’Donnell, a teacher at Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca Raton for the past 17 years, has won a $10,000 award for inventing a device for people with respiratory diseases that runs off tire pressure, removing the need for electricity. Sun-Sentinel.
Superintendent investigation: An investigation of a complaint by an associate superintendent against Polk County School Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy is complete, and the findings will be announced Feb. 1. Lakeland Ledger.
Teacher suspended: A physical education teacher at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach is suspended with pay while the district looks into allegations that she had inappropriate communication with several students. Florida Times-Union. St. Augustine Record.
No charges for second-graders: No charges will be filed against two Hallandale Beach Elementary students who punched a 10-year-old and tried to steal his bike. The boys, 7 and 8, have been referred to a program for family counseling, anger management, conflict resolution and afterschool activities. Sun-Sentinel.
Opinions on schools: There may be a reasonable balance between public schools and alternative schools options, but the Florida Legislature hasn’t found it. Gainesville Sun. A 4-year-old preschooler should not have to be anxious about school testing. Anna Menendez, Miami Herald. Building a new high school in Bonita Springs has been discussed for more than 10 years. So why should it be an issue to invest a few more months to make sure the right location is found? Naples Daily News. Students and taxpayers would be better served by investing Florida’s scarce financial resources to improve the lowest performing schools instead of further investing in voucher schools. Joanne McCall, Tallahassee Democrat. Florida is graduating more students, but has college readiness been compromised along the way? St. Augustine Record.
Student enrichment: Arab-American spoken poet and playwright Andrea Assaf will speak at a series of events in South Florida in February to encourage LGBT teens to express themselves through poetry. Miami Herald. Leon County students prepare for upcoming statewide robotics competitions. Tallahassee Democrat. Second-graders at Old Kings Elementary in Palm Coast learn about Americanism in a special program led by Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Commander Dr. Claudia J. Parker. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
