Hope operators: Two charter school companies have been named the state’s first “Hope operators” in a unanimous vote by the Florida Board of Education. Somerset Academy, managed by Miami-based Academica, and IDEA Public Schools of Texas will now have access to low-cost loans for facilities, state grants, a streamlined application process and exemptions from some… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Marches, security, outside operators and more
Marching students: Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland lead a march of about 800,000 people in Washington, D.C., to call for stricter regulation of guns and safety in schools. Seventeen people were killed in a shooting at the school Feb. 14, launching the #NeverAgain movement and marches in Washington and around the… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: March, Hope operators, security, CRC and more
Student activism: Hundreds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, parents and teachers are traveling to Washington, D.C., for the March For Our Lives rally Saturday. Another 800 or so marches calling for stricter gun laws are planned in cities around the world, and more than a million people are expected to participate. Miami Herald…. Read more »
Fla. charter schools grapple with security funding
Even before a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School, Cynthia Aversa had been looking for ways to hire a school resource officer at the charter school she runs on Florida’s Treasure Coast. After the shooting in Parkland, Fla., Aversa promptly decided to contract with the local Sheriff’s office to place a… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Term limits, school authorization, security and more
Education amendments: A proposal to impose term limits on local school board members moves ahead at the Constitution Revision Commission meeting. Under the proposal sponsored by Erika Donalds, board members would be limited to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. The measure now moves to another committee. If approved by the committee and then the… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Tax levies pass, school security, finances and more
Tax hike votes: Voters in Sarasota and Manatee counties approve an additional 1 mill on property taxes for schools, by a wide margin in Sarasota and a narrow one in Manatee. In Sarasota, the extra $55 million in each of the next four years will help pay for 30 extra minutes of classtime a day, higher teacher… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: March, walkouts, Cruz’s brother, votes and more
March For Our Lives: More than 1 million people are expected to attend March For Our Lives rallies Saturday in Washington, D.C., and at least 800 other sites around the world, according to the students who have organized the rallies in response to the school shootings in Parkland on Feb. 14 that killed 17. They… Read more »
Loving the Earth, lauding school choice
Mangrove School in Florida, where more than half the students use school choice scholarships, stresses environmental consciousness. It’s yet another example of the endless varieties of schools that might be possible with expanded school choice.
Florida schools roundup: State budget signed, safety in schools and more
Scott signs budget bill: Gov. Rick Scott signs the $88.7 billion state budget, dismissing pleas from Florida’s school superintendents for a special legislative session to increase funding for schools. The budget includes new money for K-12 schools, mostly for school security and mental health counseling for students, and a boost in the amount Bright Futures… Read more »
A wild balm of a school
Editor’s note: See a profile of Gator Camp student Ross Perkins here. Fighting, skipping, smoking pot – Jake Clayton’s freshman year in a public high school was a disaster, with explosive anger issues leading to a school record 44 disciplinary actions. Most days, the skinny kid with the mischievous smile would walk off campus and… Read more »