State’s ESSA plan rapped: Florida’s plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act is the worst in the country in identifying persistently underperforming schools and working to improve student outcomes, according to a review of every state’s plan by 24 independent education advocates and leaders of both political parties. Eight components of the plans… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: School shooting tips, ex-charter owner sentenced and more
Missed warning signs: More than 30 people knew of disturbing and threatening behavior by accused school shooter Nikolas Cruz but didn’t report it until after the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. Two students who did try to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Funding fears, board elections, panel meets and more
Funding fears: While school officials applaud voters for approving 18 ballot measures in August and November to help pay for expenses at schools, some fear that those approvals will embolden the Legislature to cut back funding and lean more on local tax efforts. That could lead to funding disparities based on where students live. “It’s… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Education on trial, sharing with charters and more
Education court challenge: Florida Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Thursday in a nearly 10-year-old case that claims the state’s education system is inadequate and therefore a violation of 1998 constitutional amendment that calls for “uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of public schools.” A trial court and an appeals court have rejected… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: School choice, education court challenge and more
School choice wins: A clear winner in Tuesday’s elections in Florida is school choice, according to the founder of the state’s tax credit scholarship program. “When given a clear choice between a candidate who supports empowering parents to choose K-12 options for their children and a candidate who wishes to restrict those choices, voters prefer… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: DeSantis wins, tax hikes pass, board elections and more
Statewide races: Republican Ron DeSantis, who strongly backs school choice, wants 80 percent of all education spending directed into the classroom and pledges to expand the state’s K-12 scholarship programs and career and technical education opportunities, narrowly wins the governor’s race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. In other statewide races, Gov. Rick Scott defeats incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Tax votes, school schedule, AP courses and more
Tax initiatives: About a third of Florida residents face increased taxes if voters in seven counties approve initiatives Tuesday to raise money for their school districts. Officials in those districts say the state put them in the position of asking for voter help by underfunding mandates for school security. “The legislative mandates were substantially unfunded,”… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Back to school returns, helping teachers and more
Back to school: Several Bay County schools are now scheduled to reopen Nov. 5, according to district officials. All district schools have been closed since Hurricane Michael made landfall in the county Oct. 10. At least one will operate under a split schedule and two others will include students displaced from other schools. The rest… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Stewart’s term extended, Schools of Hope and more
Another year for Stewart: The Florida Board of Education extends the contract of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart by a year to “help ensure Florida remains on this positive trajectory” of rising high school graduation rates, improved school grades and gains on national math and reading tests. She had been scheduled to leave the office she’s… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: DOE budget, SAT scores lag, charters and more
DOE budget request: The Florida Department of Education’s budget request to the Legislature calls for a spending boost of $200 per student. Among the specific spending requests are $100 million more for school safety, $67.5 million for training and arming school staffers and an additional $10 million for student mental health. If the request is… Read more »
