By Brandon Larrabee News Service of Florida A Tallahassee-based appeals court wrestled Tuesday with what standard should be applied to Florida’s education system, with judges sounding skeptical that courts were even a proper place to hear the issue. At least two members of a three-judge panel from the 1st District Court of Appeal directed sharp… Read more »
This spring, Florida’s smallest school district launched an unprecedented turnaround effort led by a charter school organization. But Jefferson County schools may not be alone for long. On Monday the Florida Board of Education asked three North Florida school districts to revise plans to turn around long-struggling schools. It was the first batch of turnaround… Read more »
A charter school won another victory in a multifaceted legal battle with a South Florida school board. But even if a ruling issued by the state’s Division of Administrative Hearings stands, the fight isn’t over. The Palm Beach County School Board created a rule in 2014 that required charters, among other things, to prove they… Read more »
Teacher of the year: Tammy Jerkins, who teaches pre-calculus at Leesburg High School in Lake County, is named Florida’s teacher of the year by the Florida Department of Education. In the letter supporting her nomination, principal Dennis Neal wrote: “I have never seen her give up on a student, no matter how tough and/or unmotivated… Read more »
District homework ban: Marion County School Superintendent Heidi Maier is banning daily homework for the district’s 20,000 elementary school students. Instead, school officials are asking parents to read with their children for 20 minutes every night. Maier says the decision is based on research by Richard Allington, a University of Tennessee professor who found that reading… Read more »
H.B. 7069 suit: The St. Lucie County School Board unanimously agrees to join Broward County in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of H.B. 7069. The board authorizes spending up to $10,000 to fight the new law in court. The broadly drawn bill provides additional money for charter schools, expands a bonus program for teachers and… Read more »
Video rebuttal: Florida House Republicans respond to a threat to sue over H.B. 7069 by releasing a promotional video touting the “schools of hope” provision in the bill, which creates incentives for charter schools to move into areas with persistently low-performing public schools. The video says those opposed to H.B. 7069 don’t want to give tens of thousands of children… Read more »
Former Lake County Fla. Superintendent Susan Moxley set out to achieve one goal above all others in her eight years in the top position at the district: Customize education for each student, preparing them for college and careers. The Central Florida district was one of six in the nation to receive a three-year, $3.1 million… Read more »
District may sue over bill: The Broward County School Board is considering suing the Florida Department of Education over H.B. 7069‘s requirements that districts share property tax revenue with charter schools and that districts accept charters – so-called “schools of hope” – into neighborhoods with persistently low-performing schools. “We believe that it’s an unlawful public… Read more »
School grades: More Florida schools received grades of A and B from the state this year and fewer received an F grade, according to the annual report from the Florida Department of Education. Fifty-seven percent of schools received an A or B this year, up from 46 percent in 2016. The number of F schools declined… Read more »
