Extra reading results: The extra hour of reading the state requires each day at the 300 lowest-performing elementary schools appears to be paying off. In Duval County, two-thirds of the schools that have the extra hour show reading gains, and improvements among the 300 designated schools are greater than at other schools, according to data and the Florida Department of Education. “There are some dramatic results that are material and recognizable,” says state Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, who wrote the state’s extra reading law. Despite the gains, there’s a lot of ground still to be made up. Last year, only 34 percent of the students at the lowest-performing schools passed the state’s reading test, while almost 61 percent of other students did. Florida Times-Union.
Amendment proposals: Erika Donalds, a member of the Collier County School Board and the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, is proposing an amendment to the Florida constitution that would make all district school superintendents appointed rather than elected. Forty-four of the state’s 67 districts now elect superintendents. “Our communities deserve school leaders that are focuses on excellence and not politics,” Donalds said. “The nature of elected superintendents ensures the majority of applicants have no experience.” Gradebook. Donalds is also proposing to make school board membership an unpaid position. Pay for Florida board members ranges from $25,546 a year (Liberty County) to $44,433 (Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Broward, Palm Beach and Orange counties). Under the proposal, board members would still be entitled to per diem and travel reimbursements. Gradebook.
Start times petition: More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition to change the starting times for Pinellas County high schools to 8:30 a.m., as neighboring Hillsborough County is doing. Supporters point to research that suggests later start times better align with the lives of high school students, and could improve students’ health, safety and academic success. Among those signing is school board member Eileen Long, who has a junior at high school and will have a freshman at another next year. Gradebook.
Blaming the victim: Courts in at least eight states ban the lawsuit defense tactic of placing blame for sex abuse on the students who are abused. Those states all say children cannot give consent, so they cannot be blamed. Florida courts have never ruled on the issue, and the Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade school districts have all used the tactic as a defense in lawsuits over sexual abuse by school employees. Sun-Sentinel.
Schools of hope grant: Idyllwilde Elementary School in Sanford is awarded a $1.6 million “schools of hope” grant from the state. The school plans to use the money to give teacher bonuses, hire extra teachers who are rated highly effective, provide more training for teachers, add a mental health counselor and begin a new program encouraging parents to become more involved in their children’s education. Orlando Sentinel.
Turnaround choices: The Hillsborough County School District wants to partner with an outside consulting firm to turn around the performance of seven struggling schools. All received D or F grades from the state, prompting the state to require turnaround plans for each. The options are to close the schools, turn them over to a charter school company or hire an outside company with a record of effective school management, which could be a district-managed charter. Gradebook. The Polk County School District is being required to file turnaround plans for six schools, but is asking the state for clarity on what it considers a district-run charter to be. District officials say closing the schools would be a last resort. Lakeland Ledger.
Application fees: Prospective Florida State University students can have their $30 application fee waived if they tell the university they have a financial need. FSU, which used to require supporting paperwork, will now take students at their word. Gradebook.
Screening for gifted: The Pinellas County School District is now screening all 2nd-graders in a search for gifted students. Previously, a teacher had to recommend a student, or a parent would have to press the issue with school administrators. The district hopes to increase the gifted numbers of low-income students and those learning English. “The overarching idea of a universal screening … (is) we don’t want to miss anybody,” says Coral Marsh, the district’s gifted specialist. The screening cost to the district is $45,000. Tampa Bay Times.
District borrowing: The Hamilton County School District is borrowing $1.67 million from a bank to pay operating expenses until new funds from tax collections are available in 2018. Union-Recorder.
Teacher exams: An administrative judge recommends that two challenges to exams teachers take be rejected. The judge ruled that the Florida Educational Leadership Exam essay score for Julie McCue was correctly figured, and that Daryl Bryant’s claim that the essay score on his Florida Teacher Licensing Exam is due to flaws in the test and scoring procedure is also unfounded. The recommendation goes to the Florida Department of Education for approval. WFTS.
Charter concerns: Sarasota County School Board members are skeptical about a charter school that is applying to open in the district, and the commission reviewing the application says it’s filled with inaccuracies and meets just 28 percent of the needs of the district. The board will vote Nov. 7 on Sarasota STEM Academy’s application. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Housing for employees: A proposal to build at least 20 low-cost homes for school employees behind Sugarloaf School will be studied by a task force before moving forward, says Monroe County Superintendent Mark Porter. Keynoter.
School programs: Students at Gainesville and Buchholz high schools in Alachua County enter the Jobs for Florida’s Graduates program, which helps them develop personal development skills, research career opportunities and shadow workers in fields they’re considering. Gainesville Sun.
Personnel moves: Three months after being arrested on a DUI charge, a Miami-Dade County elementary school principal is transferred to the administrative offices. Deborah Darbonne, 46, who was the principal at Wesley Matthews Elementary, will remain in the alternate assignment until the court case is resolved. Miami Herald.
Dress code protest: Female students in Collier County join a national protest against school dress codes that they call sexist. They say the codes reflect a societal issue of women being blamed for men’s actions. Naples Daily News.
Bathroom frenzy: A Boynton Beach charter school is pressed into damage control after a parent posts incorrect information about the school’s bathroom rules on Facebook, and the post is picked up and spreads. The parent’s post claimed Franklin Academy was allowing students only 50 free bathroom visits per school year, and charging $5 for any bathroom visits beyond that. School officials say there are no limits. Students are given a log sheet with 50 lines to record bathroom visits and when it’s full, they get another one. Students are charged $5 only if they lose the log sheet and need another. Palm Beach Post.
High-tech helmets: Volusia County school officials are looking into the costs for outfitting each of its 10 high school football teams with special high-tech helmets that can detect and report possible concussions. WFTV.
Students arrested: A Royal Palm Beach High School student who shot a classmate in the foot on a school bus last week faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Palm Beach Post. A 13-year-old Pasco County student is arrested and accused of posting threats against three schools on her Instagram page. The Gulf Middle School 8th-grader could be charged with written threats to kill or do bodily harm, deputies say. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions on schools: State legislators should, at the very least, consider substantially increasing the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program’s funding. A more dramatic, far-reaching action would be to turn its sister program, the Gardiner Scholarship for special-needs students, into a universal program available to all Florida students. (Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer both programs.) Tim Benson, Heartland Institute. I acknowledge the practical advantages of appointing school superintendents, but I don’t find them strong enough to do away with elections. Jim Ross, Ocala Star-Banner. Opposition to charter schools is often unfair and unfounded. Marion County School Board member Nancy Stacy, Ocala Star-Banner. Gov. Rick Scott continues to emphasize bonuses for teachers, even though the Best & Brightest program is perhaps the most glaringly inequitable bonus program in the state. St. Augustine Record. State lawmakers should work to ensure better compliance of Florida’s Sunshine laws before expanding any exemptions. Florida Today.
Student enrichment: The Santa Rosa County School District receives almost $8,000 from the state through the Kids Tag Art program that allows students to design license plates. Santa Rosa Press Gazette. Facebook sponsors an all-day anti-bullying seminar for students at Southwest Senior High School in Miami. WTVJ.
