Gifted needs: Central Florida school districts have few options to challenge young, highly gifted students. Orlando Sentinel.
Literacy: A Polk County high school senior loves reading so much, she spends her free time collecting and distributing books to elementary school students struggling with reading. The Ledger.
Math: Florida’s most critical K-12 need is improving middle school math, writes Paul Cottle for the Tallahassee Democrat.
Obama: A group of Broward County elementary students gets to see President Obama during a White House visit. Sun Sentinel.
School funding: Florida is among states that have yet to spend the bulk of their Race to the Top grants. Education Week.
Athletics: The Florida High School Athletic Association surveys school administrators and coaches and finds about 75 percent say the so-called “follow-the-coach” rule should be changed so kids who switch schools can continue to participate in sports. Florida Current.
GED: The new GED test gets an overhaul in some states, including Florida. Associated Press.
Finance figures: Costs for requiring every high school student to take a financial literacy course vary from less than $140,000 for an online class to more than $11 million to offer it in the classroom with a book for every student. The Tampa Tribune.
Bright Futures: Proposed legislation looks to tighten procedures that include documenting service hours. Tampa Bay Times.
Lawsuits: The Broward School District will pay $275,000 to settle a lawsuit from a husband and wife who played pivotal roles in exposing corruption in the facilities department. Sun Sentinel.
2013: The Pensacola News Journal names its top education stories of 2013 for Escambia and Santa Rosa county schools. Pasco County’s schools superintendent revamps administration to go along with his priority of supporting campus learning. Tampa Bay Times.
New Year: Expect 2014 to be a big year in education, writes the Fort Myers News-Press.
Conduct: Volusia County’s School Board attorney is suspended from practicing law for 60 days for two sexual indiscretions and for using evidence he should never have obtained. Orlando Sentinel.
