Class size violations: Fewer Florida schools are in violation of the state’s class size amendment this year, according to Department of Education records. They show 1,433 of 125,159 public school classrooms in violation, 1 of 6 lab schools, 47 of 649 charter schools and 10 of 2,331 choice schools. The class size amendment, approved by voters in 2002, puts caps of 18 students in grades K-3, 22 in grades 4-8 and 25 in grades 9-12. A loophole approved in 2013 allows districts to use schoolwide averages to meet the caps if those schools were designated as choice schools. So the number of choice schools has grown from 1,193 in 2013-2014 to 2,331, and 29 of the state’s 67 districts show no traditional public school classrooms. An attempt to close the loophole went nowhere in the 2016 legislative session. Gradebook.
Spending and education: A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that spending more on education improves achievement. The national study in 49 states broke down results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress testing, and showed a consistent pattern of improvement in low-income school districts where spending increased. The effect of the extra money also had a much greater impact than lower classroom sizes. New York Times.
Education leadership: House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, announces leadership assignments to education committees for the next legislative session, which begins in March. Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, will chair PreK-12 Appropriations. Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, will chair PreK-12 Innovation, and Rep. Jake Raburn, R-Lithia, will chair PreK-12 Quality. Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, is the chair of Post-Secondary Education, and Rep. Larry Ahern, R-Seminole, will lead Higher Education Appropriations. The full committee membership lists are here. Gradebook.
Contract rejected: Almost 80 percent of Indian River County’s teachers reject a proposed contract with the district after the school board voted to assume just a portion of the increase in health insurance premiums. The board-approved plan would hike premiums for teachers by 32 percent. TCPalm.
Lawsuit settlement: The Palm Beach County School District would pay $350,000 to settle a lawsuit under a proposed agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. The suit alleges that in 2011, Turning Point Academy principal Darren Edgecomb illegally demoted an assistant principal who was pregnant. The school board will have to approve the settlement. Palm Beach Post.
School impact fee: The Volusia County School Board votes today on an impact fee of $3,000 per dwelling unit that has been agreed to by both school officials and the Volusia Building Industry Association. The fee would remain in effect until 2021. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
School boundaries: Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning says he will recommend a proposal to the school board that alters the boundaries approved by the district’s rezoning committees. Browning says his plan affects fewer students and goes further to cut overcrowding at Mitchell High School and Seven Springs Middle School. Public hearings are scheduled Dec. 20 and Jan. 17. Gradebook. The Palm Beach County School District’s boundary advisory committee will tackle rezoning to end overcrowding at Forest Hill High School. Almost 2,500 students attend the school that was built for 1,837, making it the most crowded school in the district. Palm Beach Post.
Career academies: Six career academies will be added next fall at Volusia County schools. Five of the academies will be at Atlantic High School. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Charter schools: Ground is broken for the Babcock Neighborhood School, a K-8 charter school in Charlotte County. It’s scheduled to open next fall. Fort Myers News-Press. A deteriorating financial picture is forcing the closure of Pinellas Westcoast Academy High School. The charter school, formerly known as Newpoint Pinellas High, closes Friday. Gradebook.
Teachers honored: Five finalists are chosen for the Leon County School District’s teacher of the year award. They are: Jessica Hooker, Springwood Elementary; Lynn Janasiewicz, Buck Lake Elementary; Linda Kaye Johnson, Deerlake Middle; Wanda Moore, James S. Rickards High; and Billy Penn, Killearn Lakes Elementary. The winner will be announced Thursday. Tallahassee Democrat.
School officials honored: Christopher Columbus High School president Brother Kevin Handibode is honored for his accomplishments and fund-raising on behalf of the Miami-Dade Catholic school. Handibode, 77, has worked at Columbus for more than 45 years. Miami Herald. Jeff Reaves, principal at Edgewater Public School, is a finalist for the 2016-17 Innovative Principal of the Year Award given by the Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
School calendar: The Citrus County School Board is expected to approve a 2017-2018 school year calendar that has schools opening Aug. 10 and ending May 24. Citrus County Chronicle.
Officials clash: The Cape Coral mayor and the superintendent of a charter school system spar at a public meeting. Superintendent Nelson Stephenson alleges that Mayor Marni Sawicki pressured him to rehire a teacher who had been fired. Sawicki denies that. Fort Myers News-Press.
Student arrested: A 16-year-old student is arrested and accused of sexual battery on a 14-year-old girl in a classroom at Lealman Innovation Academy. Lealman is an alternative school that takes students who have struggled at other schools. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
Opinions on schools: The FEA and NAACP are trying to resist something they cannot stop. The definition of public education no longer means children are zoned to neighborhood schools. It means choices for parents and students alike. But choices can’t be just for the rich. That is why the tax credit scholarship exists. Latrina Peters-Gibson, Orlando Advocate. The bill to allow computer coding as another option for the current foreign language requirement in Florida high schools clearly sidesteps the intent to encourage multilingual students. But that’s okay. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times.
Student enrichment: John Ciocca, a 16-year-old junior at Estero High School, starts a local chapter of Fantastic Friends, a nonprofit organization that arranges monthly socials for special needs teens and young adults between 13 and 25 years old. John’s 17-year-old brother Christian has Down syndrome. Fort Myers News-Press. Members of the Louise B. Johnson Middle School band raise more than $800 for the Salvation Army. Bradenton Herald. Treadway Elementary School in Leesburg is raising $160,000 to create a STEM lab to provide hands-on experience for students. Orlando Sentinel. An app designed by Blake Anderson and William Pembleton of Gulf Coast High School wins a Congressional App Challenge. The app, called Deepstone, helps students manage their classwork. Naples Daily News.
