If the chatter among Florida charter school supporters is any indication, expect to see proposed legislation next spring that calls for equitable funding for charter schools and the return of charter authorizers who are independent from public school districts. “This is a forced marriage that needs counseling,’’ joked Ralph Arza, a former Florida legislator who… Read more »
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Florida roundup: Special needs students, privatization fears, AP and more
Teacher’s aides put on leave. Five of them, in Hillsborough, as the district investigates the death of a special needs middle school student and a PE coach accuses them of slacking on the job, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Says Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia: “We have to do everything we can to retain and regain… Read more »
Jeb Bush foundation pushes back against Common Core critics
Tony Bennett’s shocking loss in Indiana has highlighted a deep and long-festering rift among some ed reformers over adoption of Common Core academic standards. Some observers pinned the loss on Republicans who see Common Core as federal intrusion tied to President Obama rather than a voluntary, state-led effort – and who saw Bennett as too cozy… Read more »
Florida roundup: Advanced Placement, district overspending and more
AP pass rates. The Tampa Bay Times looks at pass rates by high school in the Pinellas school district and concludes “AP test success remains elusive.” The story includes a lot of stats, but doesn’t note the actual numbers of students and/or tests passed at each school and how that number has risen (or not)… Read more »
Virtual school gives teen philanthropist time to make a difference
Zach Bonner first made headlines in Tampa, Fla. in 2004, a plucky 7-year-old pulling a wagon through his neighborhood to collect donations for victims of Hurricane Charley. Today, he and his mom travel the country in an RV, raising money for social causes. His nonprofit foundation, appropriately named Little Red Wagon, is widely recognized for… Read more »
Tony Bennett for Florida ed commish?
Shock and buzz. Tony Bennett’s loss was last night’s big jawdropper in the ed realm. But shock is already giving way to welling speculation that Indiana’s loss will be Florida’s gain. Education Week wrote that Bennett, the Hoosier State’s superintendent of public instruction, “could be a natural fit” for the opening in Florida. Education researcher… Read more »
Charter schools and RTI could better benefit special education students
by Allison Hertog Last spring the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a study concluding that charter schools enroll a lower percentage of special education students than traditional public schools. Some commentators have questioned this study’s methodology and conclusions, while others believe it confirms what they have seen in practice. Regardless of where you stand on that debate,… Read more »
Florida home-schoolers dive into STEM
In the factory’s tiny lobby, a dozen middle-school-aged boys and a handful of parents stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the company president, a soft-spoken man with a pen in his shirt pocket. He held up one precision-crafted, metallic piece after another and explained how angles and radiuses, aluminum and titanium, came together through… Read more »
redefinED roundup: charter school flap in Florida, charter school records in California & more
Florida: A failing charter school cuts its principal a $500,000 check as it was closing its doors (Orlando Sentinel). Charter school supporters are also angered (redefinED). Louisiana: State Superintendent John White is accused of lying to lawmakers about the state’s new voucher program (theadvertiser.com). White is also summoned to court in a lawsuit filed by a… Read more »
Don’t fail schools named for heroes
by Gloria Romero Between fundraisers, President Obama touched down in La Paz, Calif., recently to dedicate the home of Cesar Chavez, the late founder and leader of the United Farmworkers of America, as a historic monument. Even I – an Obama supporter – recognized the obvious political timing of this event and the reaching out… Read more »
