Segregation and graduation: The resegregation of Florida schools, reported in a recent study, is likely to have a negative impact on graduation rates in the state. The authors of another study say dropout rates rise a percentage point for black students and 3 percentage points for Hispanics in U.S. school districts that don’t require integration… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Extra reading, amendments, start times and more
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… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: English-only tests, board’s agenda, finances and more
English-only tests: Florida is asking the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver from giving statewide assessments tests in any language other than English. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to make every effort to test students in their first language. About 12 percent of all K-12 students in Florida – almost 300,000 children… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: A call for reform, teacher pay, KIPP and more
A call for reform: Legislators and local school officials are calling for better oversight of private schools that get millions of dollars from the state’s three scholarship programs. A series in the Orlando Sentinel last week detailed how some of those schools hired uncertified teachers with criminal backgrounds and submitted falsified fire reports for years… Read more »
Key black school choice organization to close at the end of the year
The education reform movement will lose an important voice at the end of this year. The Black Alliance for Educational Options sent a note to supporters this morning announcing it will “cease operations” after Dec. 31. The group played a unique role in the school choice movement. It challenged charter and school voucher advocates to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Proposed bills, scholarships, a gifted school and more
Legislative proposals: A Florida Senate committee approves two bills that would, if passed, have an impact on local school officials. S.B. 272 would require 60 percent approval for any tax initiative placed on a special election ballot. It would take effect July 1. Many school districts favor special elections when putting tax increases before voters…. Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Charter schools, kids’ well-being, pay and more
Charter schools: The Florida Department of Education overrules the Manatee County School Board’s denial of a charter school application last year. Parrish Charter Academy’s application was denied because board members decided the school’s plan did not meet state standards in five areas and did so only partially in four others. Parrish appealed, and the department followed… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Teacher pay, choice, workplace hostility and more
Teacher pay: School districts should stop paying teachers by a rigid formula that is calculated solely by degree obtained and experience, Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, tells a group of charter school leaders. “They’re treated in a fashion as if they were labor workers in a technical industry,” says Diaz. “They’re not. They’re professionals.” He says… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: ‘Schools of hope,’ waivers, scholarships and more
‘Schools of hope’: Just 11 struggling Florida schools are designated “schools of hope” by the Florida Board of Education. More than 50 schools applied, and the state’s new education law set aside about $52 million to provide extra funding to as many as 25 schools. Each of the 11 schools will get $2,000 extra per… Read more »
A closer look at Orlando Sentinel story on Florida school choice programs
Quick summary: The Orlando Sentinel identified some legitimate issues that deserve fixes but also distorted the overall effectiveness of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and participating schools by omitting crucial information and context. The full body of evidence does not support the newspaper’s characterization of the system as broken – in fact, just the opposite…. Read more »
