Schools of Hope: The Florida Board of Education approves a rule that will allow highly regarded charter organizations to apply for money from the state starting next month to open schools in areas with persistently low-performing traditional public schools. The rule outlines the process by which these companies can become operators of “Schools of Hope” as outlined in the education bill passed in last year’s Legislature. The bill set aside $140 million for the program. redefinED. Gradebook. WCTV. Politico Florida. The San Francisco-based KIPP Foundation is making plans to open a charter school this fall in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. It would be run in collaboration with the Miami-Dade County School District, and hopes to receive Schools of Hope grant money intended to lure nationally prominent charter networks to the state. WLRN. The state board also approved giving 14 schools about $20 million to provide additional social services, after-school learning programs and tutoring through the Schools of Hope program. Twenty-five schools are now receiving the extra $2,000 per student. Schools selected are in Brevard, Duval, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam and Volusia counties. WLRN. Capitol News Service. George W. Munroe Elementary School in Gadsden County is one of the schools awarded the extra funds. Tallahassee Democrat.
Bright Futures bill: The House Post-Secondary Education Subcommittee approves a higher education bill that expands Bright Futures scholarships, but only after adding a requirement that the state’s universities conduct an annual survey to assess the state of “intellectual freedom” on campuses. “What has been missing is a way to measure or determine if intellectual diversity actually exists,” says House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero. “And more importantly, particularly in this day and age, whether students and faculty feel safe and secure in expressing their own individual viewpoints.” The companion bill has already been approved by the Senate. News Service of Florida.
Board term limits: A bill that would impose term limits on members of local school boards is approved by the Florida House PreK-12 Quality subcommittee, despite the misgivings of several legislators. Board members would have to leave office after serving eight consecutive years, though they could run again after a break. The bill would start counting years served after 2013. Gradebook. Politico Florida.
Changing principals: The Florida Board of Education admonishes Hillsborough County officials for not removing principals and nine low-rated teachers at four struggling schools as they had promised to do. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says she thought there was an agreement with the district to remove the principals at Dover, Mango, Palm River and Pizzo elementary schools by Dec. 15, and the board instructed her to make sure the district makes the changes. Gradebook. The principal at Moton Elementary School in Hernando County is resigning, effective Jan. 29. Joe Frana had been hired in 2016 to turn around the struggling school, but it received a D grade from the state in 2016 for the second straight year and again made the list of the state’s 300 lowest-performing schools. In October, the state joined the district’s efforts to improve the school. Gradebook.
Charter schools: The Duval County School District will hand over $3.8 million to charter schools by the end of the month as part of the revenue sharing for construction and maintenance required by the new education law, district officials tell the school board. WJCT.
Escalating costs: The costs to expand Cypress Bay High School in Weston have more than doubled since voters approved an $800 million school bond referendum in 2014. School officials say a consulting firm’s original estimated cost was $143 per square foot, or $9.3 million, to replace 61 portable classrooms with a new building. Now the cost will be $225 to $250 per square foot, or about $19.2 million, because the original design did not account for corridors, stairwells, elevators and equipment rooms, larger spaces for labs, special education classes, administration and restrooms. Sun-Sentinel.
Cold weather: Classes resume today in many north Florida districts after a cold and icy day Wednesday closed schools. Some districts are continuing to restrict outside activities today. WEAR. NorthEscambia.com. WKRG. Pensacola News Journal.
Contract agreement: Members of the Polk County teachers union ratify a contract agreement with the school district that calls for raises of between 2 and 3.5 percent. The school board votes Jan. 23 on the deal, which will cost the district about $10 million. Lakeland Ledger.
Graduation rates: Suwannee County’s graduation rate improved from 89.6 percent in 2016 to 90.5 percent in 2017, according to the Florida Department of Education. That puts the county fourth in the state, behind Gilchrist (93.4), and Nassau and St. Johns (each at 90.9). Suwannee Democrat.
School closings: The Palm Beach County School Board approves a plan to reassign students from Odyssey Middle School in Boynton Beach, which is closing after this school year, to five other middle schools. Odyssey is the first traditional public school in the county to close in more than 25 years. Palm Beach Post. Students at Ridgewood High School in Pasco County are still waiting for clarification from the district on what will happen when the school is closed and reopened next fall as a technical magnet school. Parent Dawn Dunn says, “We are trying to decide whether (her daughter) should stay at that school. We just need a very clear message of what her options are.” Gradebook. Palm Beach State College is closing the preschool on its Palm Beach Gardens campus, and will use the space for offices. College officials cited financial pressures for the decision. Palm Beach Post.
Foster youth education: Florida is one of 11 states struggling to comply with Every Students Succeeds Act requirements to transport foster children to school. The plan Florida submitted to comply with ESSA indicates the state does not yet have a transportation plan for foster children, according to a recent report. The Chronicle of Social Change.
Fundraiser marketing: The program that has encouraged students to clip labels from cereal boxes and cookie bags to earn rewards for their school is coming to an end after 43 years due to declining participation. Washington Post.
Superintendent asks for help: Hernando County School Superintendent Lori Romano is asking a court for a restraining order against her neighbor. According to court documents, Romano says Italia Carolina Lainez, 45, has stalked and harassed her since last summer. Tampa Bay Times.
Ride bus or else: Students in the Focus program at Bronson Middle/High School in Levy County are being told they have to ride a school bus or face suspension. The program is for students with learning and behavioral issues. School officials say parents signed an agreement in December that detailed the transportation changes. WUFT.
Teacher supplies cut: The building that houses the Teacher Supply Depot in Duval County has been closed after a fire and health inspection, leaving teachers temporarily without access to supplies needed for their classrooms. School officials say they are working to correct the problems noted in the inspection. WJAX.
Teachers arrested: A teacher at the Manatee School for the Arts is arrested and accused of having sex with a minor. Deputies say Steven Kempa, 34, had sex with a 16-year-old girl, who is not a student at the school. Bradenton Herald. WFLA. A Lake Weir High School teacher is arrested and accused of having sex with a 17-year-old former female student. Jason Michael Tarlton, 30, an English literature teacher, was placed on administrative leave. Ocala Star-Banner.
Student arrested: A 14-year-old student is arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Plant City High School, according to Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies. School officials say they found the 40-caliber handgun and drug paraphernalia in the student’s backpack. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
Car runs into school: A car slams into the Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers, killing the driver. School is closed today as the damage is assessed. Fort Myers News-Press.
Opinions on schools: School day after school day, school year after school year, Jacksonville has many reasons to be proud that it can make this statement: the KIPP charter school is here. And it is making a difference here. Florida Times-Union.
Student enrichment: Atharva Pathak and Jake Frazer, both 8th-graders at Lincoln Middle School in Gainesville, are among 75 students nationwide to earn perfect scores on the American Mathematics Competition exam. Gainesville Sun.
