H.B. 7069 lawsuit: The Orange County and Polk County school boards unanimously agree to join other districts in suing the state over the new education law, H.B. 7069. Members of both boards believe provisions governing charter schools are unconstitutional. At least 10 school districts have agreed to join the suit and are contributing money for legal fees. Orlando Sentinel. Lakeland Ledger. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WJHG. Rapidly growing central Florida school districts are unhappy that they now have to share money collected locally for capital projects. The growth of charter schools could reduce the need for districts to build new schools, but that’s a tradeoff that still doesn’t seem fair to the districts. “They (charter schools) are coming and relieving us with overcrowding and growth,” says Lake County School Board chairman Marc Dodd. “We wouldn’t need to solve the problem if we had the funding to build those schools. They are coming to solve a problem the state created.” redefinED.
Education bills: Two bills are introduced in the Legislature that would affect school board members. Sen. Gregory Steube, R-Sarasota, files a bill that would limit school board members to a pair of four-year terms. The other, filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would allow two school board members to meet privately, without public notice, “so long as no official acts are taken and any public business is not discussed.” Gradebook. Steube also files a bill that would change eligibility for student transportation to schools. Right now, no student who lives within 2 miles of his or her school is eligible for busing unless he or she can prove the walking route is hazardous. Steube’s bill would shrink that distance to 1.5 miles. Gradebook.
Guns at schools: The Lee County School Board will consider a proposal to allow anyone to bring guns to school as long as the owner is legally allowed to have the weapon and keeps it in a locked case in a vehicle while on campus. The board may vote as soon as Sept. 5. “It’s just letting honest people do honest things in a prudent manner,” says board member Steven Teuber. “In my mind, I don’t believe it puts our district any farther in harm’s way in any way.” Alecs Dean, a firearms consultant, says the proposal would violate federal law, which bans firearms within 1,000 of a school. Fort Myers News-Press. WINK.
Charter school enrollment: About 3 million U.S. students now attend charter schools, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. That’s about 6 percent of all students, and is up from about 1.8 million five years ago. Of the 90,400 U.S. public schools, 6,900 – 7.6 percent – are charter schools. That’s up from 5.9 percent five years ago. Reuters.
School choice: About half the students in Duval County are now going to the school of their choice, according to school district officials. WJAX.
Experience counts: Hillsborough County school officials now want to require at least two years of experience as a principal for anyone taking over one of the seven struggling Elevate schools. The proposed policy is a turnaround from past practice, when most principals at the high-poverty, low-achievement schools were in ntheir first year leading a school. Gradebook.
School start times: The Indian River County School Board will consider a plan to adjust school start times next fall. Elementaries would change from an 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule to 7:50-2:20. Middle schools would switch from 7:50-2:45 to 9:05-3:50, and high schools would move from 7:10-2:05 to 8:30-3:20. TCPalm.
Charter applications: Pinellas County school officials receive two applications for charter schools. Lighthouse Academies wants to open a school in south St. Petersburg, and the Pinellas Academy of Math and Science in Largo wants to open a branch in northwest St. Petersburg. If the applications are approved, both could open next fall. Gradebook.
School conduct: Pasco County and Deer Park Elementary school officials are working to revise their behavior plan. The first plan drew protests from parents, who thought it emphasized conforming to peer pressure. Gradebook.
Cost overruns: Poor construction estimates, delays in choosing a site and cleanup costs contributed to the escalating budget to build Bonita Springs High School, say Lee County School Board members. The original pricetag of about $71 million has grown to $84.9 million. Board members say the cost overruns are a “learning experience.” Fort Myers News-Press.
School name change: The Hillsborough County School Board votes to move ahead with a name change for Lee Elementary Magnet School of World Studies & Technology, but slowly. A provision in the policy on renaming schools requires an 18-month wait, and board members chose not to change that timetable. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendent’s goals: Tim Forson begins his first school year as superintendent in St. Johns County. His goals are closing the gaps in student achievement, and recruiting and retaining talented teachers. St. Augustine Record.
Teacher shortage: The Citrus County School District still has 33 openings for teachers. Twenty-two are in elementary schools. Citrus County Chronicle.
Second statue bill: A day after a bill is proposed in the Florida Senate to replace the statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith in the National Statuary Hall Collection with a statue of educator Mary McLeod Bethune, a companion bill is filed in the House by Rep. Patrick Henry, D-Daytona Beach. News Service of Florida.
Governor’s race: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham spends a day with students at Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, and says her top priority is “to work to get us back on the right track for public education.” She says there’s too much emphasis on testing, which leads to not enough joy in learning. Panama City News Herald. WMBB.
Education report: The civic group Achieve Escambia develops a new online dashboard for residents to track educational progress. Pensacola News Journal.
District buys stadium: The Polk County School Board agrees to buy Bryant Stadium from the city of Lakeland for $1.2 million. The stadium is home to Lakeland High School football games and other sporting events, The sale still must be approved by the Lakeland City Commission. Lakeland Ledger.
Defamation case: A circuit judge hears arguments in a former Manatee High School athletic director’s defamation case against the school district and two former school officials, but issues no ruling. Joe Kinnan’s suit was dismissed in January. He filed an amended suit in March. Bradenton Herald.
Students arrested: Three students at McClane Middle School in Brandon are arrested for having a BB gun on campus. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions on schools: While football teams all over the country — high school, college and pro — now use computerized helmet sensors to measure concussion hits and tell coaches when players need to take a break, hardly any central Florida school districts have followed the trend. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel. School choice promotes ownership, which spurs responsibility and investment, which bolsters community and democracy. Empowered parents are engaged parents. They’ll raise standards and hold providers accountable more than any well-meaning bureaucracy. Doug Tuthill, Tampa Bay Times (note: Tuthill is president of Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog). Legislation that removes all school board authority to decide whether and where a public school will be established in its district is a clear violation of the school board’s constitutional authority to “operate, control and supervise all public schools within the school district.” Lee County Superintendent Greg Adkins, school board attorney Keith Martin and school board chairwoman Mary Fischer, Fort Myers News-Press. Make no mistake: the fight against school vouchers pits a powerful educational establishment against low-income parents. Charlotte Hays, Palm Beach Post. The evidence is in on schools vouchers, and it’s not good news for advocates of school choice. Peter Montgomery, Palm Beach Post. Homework was once thought of as a fairly benign part of the school experience. But it has now become controversial, and it’s a good time to see what a good homework policy would look like – one that works for both parents and students. Bill Hoatson, Tallahassee Democrat.
Student enrichment: Students at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Palm Bay win the Saint Mother Teresa Award from the Orlando Diocese for their year-long project to help the homeless. Florida Today.
