Education bills: Proposed bills on education issues are starting to stack up for the Legislature, with more than 40 already filed for the legislative session that begins its 60-day session March 5. Among the latest filed are bills that would allow districts to adopt their own academic standards as long as they’re more “rigorous” than what… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Class sizes, school meals, security, raises and more
Class size violations: More Florida schools are in violation of the 2002 constitutional amendment governing class sizes, even some of those that take advantage of a loophole allowing them to use a schoolwide average instead of class-by-class counts, according to the Florida Department of Education. Educators think part of the problem is the ongoing shortage of… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Guardians, capital tax rate, suspensions and more
Arming school employees: More than a third of the 24 Florida school districts that chose to hire armed guardians for their schools are having trouble recruiting applicants, according to a review conducted by a newspaper and University of Florida student journalists. And some are having trouble with the ones they have hired. Those problems have… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Board term limits, charter schools suing, sheriff and more
Board term limits: Proposals that would limit terms for local school boards to eight years are introduced in the Legislature. State Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, and Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey in the Hills, introduced the resolutions (S.R. 274 and H.R. 229) that, if approved, would go on the 2020 ballot as a constitutional amendment. The Constitution Revision… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Graduation help, religion classes, LGBTQ students and more
Graduation paths: Florida’s high schools are graduating more seniors than ever, but some legislators want to find even more alternative paths to a diploma. “It’s still a big goal of mine,” says state Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, the chair of the House PreK-12 Innovation committee. Several bills have already been filed. One would allow students to graduate… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: K-12 funding, security, DeSantis, sheriff and more
K-12 funding concerns: Chief state economist Amy Baker tells House Appropriations Committee members that the three-year financial outlook for the state won’t cover expected budget growth in education and other critical areas. She suggests that the Legislature’s decisions on state spending and setting local property tax rates for K-12 education are the key for balancing… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Cameras at schools, security, turnover and more
Security at schools: The Broward County School District is spending $621,000 for a surveillance system that recognizes people, and watches and remembers their movements. The 116 cameras will be installed at 36 schools, mostly high schools. One is expected to be Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people died in an attach last Feb…. Read more »
Doug Tuthill: To have an education grand bargain for Florida’s future, look to its past
A day after the Florida Board of Education unanimously approved former House Speaker Richard Corcoran to be Florida’s new Commissioner of Education, the new president of Florida’s state teachers union extended an olive branch. Florida Education Association (FEA) President Fedrick Ingram told the Tampa Bay Times: “We want to work with anyone who wants to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Safety in schools, accountability, fight over testing and more
Safety in schools: Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis’ public safety advisory team backs the conclusions of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission report, wants law enforcement to have more authority in schools and suggests stiff penalties for schools that miss deadlines or ignore state rules on security. “We need to be unleashed into the schools,”… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Shooting report, arming teachers, education bills and more
School shooting report: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission approves a 458-page final report that calls on the state to arm willing teachers, provide more money to add school resource officers and harden school buildings and campuses, and streamline communications between schools and law enforcement agencies, among the dozens of recommendations. The report… Read more »
