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… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Infrastructure spending, funding, reading gap and more
School infrastructure: The Florida Department of Education releases the total funds districts will receive from the state in the Public Education Capital Outlay. The state is spreading $50 million among the districts for school construction and maintenance. Districts must apply to the state for release of their shares, and must have the projects under contract by… Read more »
Charter schools didn’t cause your late-summer air conditioning woes
Florida students head back to school in the heat of August. A Tampa Bay Times column notes some of them suffer in sweltering buildings with worn-out air conditioners. This problem has many causes. Temperatures routinely break 90 degrees. School officials disagree on the best way to manage the heat. And, for a variety of reasons we’ll get to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: School costs, repairs, absenteeism, eclipse and more
School costs rise: Lee County school officials are asking the school board to approve an additional $13.9 million to build Bonita Springs High School. The board approved a budget of $49.9 million in April 2016, but the latest estimate of the final cost is $84.9 million. School officials blame a labor shortage, rising costs and… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Solar eclipse, sales taxes, school names and more
Eclipse schedules: School districts around the state are deciding if their students will be permitted to view the solar eclipse Monday, and if they will be, how they might do so safely. Palm Beach Post. Fort Myers News-Press. Northwest Florida Daily News. St. Augustine Record. Gradebook. WFTX. WJAX. Jackson County Floridan. WCJB. WPEC. Gradebook. Florida Today. Lakeland Ledger. Bradenton… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Teacher bonuses, H.B. 7069, eclipse and more
Teacher bonuses: Each Florida school district will be responsible for determining the eligibility of teachers for state bonuses under the “Best & Brightest” teacher bonuses program, the Department of Education says. The program was redefined as part of the new education bill, H.B. 7069, which also calls for $1,200 payments to teachers rated “highly effective,”… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Charters, funding, back to school and more
Charter school support: Support for the charter school movement is declining in America, according to a recent survey by Education Next, a journal published by Harvard’s Kennedy School and Stanford University. Only 39 percent of of those polled favor opening more “charters – schools that are funded by public money, but usually operated independently of… Read more »
Leveling the playing field in public school choice
Some affluent South Florida cities have found a way to carve private niches in the public education system. The Miami Herald recenty reported some taxpayers may start paying double the state’s normal public-school funding amounts for dedicated spots in highly-sought magnet programs created by the local school district. And a few cities have found another way to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: H.B. 7069 lawsuit, evaluations, charters and more
H.B. 7069 suit: The Miami-Dade and Palm Beach school boards vote unanimously to join other districts in suing the state over the new education law, H.B. 7069. Broward, Lee, Bay, St. Lucie and Volusia counties also have agreed to join a common lawsuit, and another 10-12 are reportedly considering joining. The districts are unhappy that… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Teacher shortages, spending, recess and more
Teachers needed: Just days before the school year begins, school districts in west-central Florida still need hundreds of teachers. Hillsborough County has the most openings, 205. Pasco needs 128, Polk more than 110 and Sarasota, Hernando and Citrus counties are also hiring. Pinellas County has just seven jobs left to fill. “You have 67 public school districts… Read more »