Common Core: Protesters gather at a Broward County School Board meeting to show they don’t support the new Common Core education standards. Miami Herald. State Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, organizes a panel to talk about education reform and Common Core. Florida Times-Union. Step Up For Students’ vice president of student learning talks about why private schools are signing on for the measures. Education Week.
Bennett and school grades: Former Florida Sen. Paula Dockery shares her thoughts about Tony Bennett and school grades, asking “Isn’t it time for an honest conversation on doing away with a school-grading system that is costly, divisive and unreliable?” The Ledger.
Conduct: A Rodgers Middle School assistant principal fights for his job after the Hillsborough County school district fired him following the death of a special-needs student at his school. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.
Debit cards: Leon County joins other school districts that won’t be offering teacher debit cards issued by Gov. Scott. Tallahassee Democrat.
Extended day: Broward County joins the list of districts where low-performing schools will offer students an additional hour of class time. Sun Sentinel. Palm Beach County will spend $7 million to add an hour to the school day at four low-performing schools. Palm Beach Post.
School funding: The half-cent sales tax is the only funding source the district has for capital projects, writes Shannon Nickinson for the Pensacola News Journal.
Charter schools: Pasco County gets its first virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy of Pasco. Tampa Bay Times.
Virtual school: Staff cuts continue at Florida Virtual School, with 177 full-time positions eliminated this week. Miami Herald. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
School spending: Broward County school officials are trying to figure out whether a Pembroke Pines maintenance project is worth the extra dollars. Miami Herald.
Teacher conduct: A Broward County middle school teacher accused of choking a student has been cleared of misconduct. Sun Sentinel.
It’s history: Columnist Frank Cerabino shares his views on the flap over Muslim teachings in textbooks. Palm Beach Post.
Extra-curricular: The Palm Beach County School Board considers plan to let students to participate in extra-curricular activities at schools they don’t attend. Palm Beach Post.
Athletics: The Florida High School Athletic Association is reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure student athletes aren’t using performance-enhancing drugs. The Ledger.
Pay cut: Loss of extra pay surprises some Duval County school district administrators. Florida Times-Union.
Pay raise: Collier County teachers and school district administrators squabble over a 1 percent bonus. Fort Myers News-Press.
New leaders: Lee County schools will see administrators in new roles when classes resume. Fort Myers News-Press.
Shine awards: The founder of a Hebrew school in Collier County is honored Tuesday with a Shine Award presented by Gov. Rick Scott. Naples Daily News.
AP tests: Pinellas County students improve their passing rate on Advanced Placement exams. Tampa Bay Times.
Evals: Pinellas County school leaders evaluate the district’s new evaluations. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.
Laptops: The Flagler County School Board continues to hash out details for a plan that provides take-home laptops for every high school student. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
