Researchers at the University of Arkansas have found that math and reading scores for voucher students in Louisiana remained negative in the fourth and final report on the program. Voucher supporters had remained hopeful that negative results observed over the last several years would disappear. Despite a big first year plummet in test results, voucher… Read more »
Education lawsuit dismissed: A nearly 10-year-old lawsuit alleging that the state has failed to live up to its constitutional duty to fund a “high quality” K-12 public education system has been dismissed by the Florida Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision. The court majority upheld a lower court ruling that the phrase “high quality education”… Read more »
By Andrew Wimer Last week, the Montana Supreme Court struck down the tax credit scholarship program created by that state’s legislature in 2015. The decision ignored recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent and was out of line with every other state court decision involving tax credit scholarship programs. The Montana program provides a modest tax credit… Read more »
By Lloyd Dunkelberger / News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved the appointment of former House Speaker Richard Corcoran as the next state education commissioner. Corcoran, a Land O’Lakes attorney who served as a Republican House speaker from 2016 until last month, will succeed Pam Stewart, a… Read more »
Bright Futures: The number of students in Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship program is forecast to grow by 5.7 percent this year, by 3,223 to 99,483, with the projected costs rising from $545 million to $583 million, according to state economists. Students who qualify for the Bright Futures’ “academic scholars” program receive 100 percent of tuition… Read more »
BOE and Corcoran: Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis reportedly wants to appoint former House Speaker Richard Corcoran as education commissioner to succeed Pam Stewart. But state law places the responsibility for selecting the commissioner in the hands of the Florida Board of Education. Will its members go along with DeSantis or, as they have in the past,… Read more »
TAMPA, Fla. – Two months after her son was diagnosed with autism, Laurie Guzman felt broken and defeated, exhausted from searching for the right school. A scholarship made her whole, if only for a short time. Ezra was a tall, slender 4-year-old when he and his mom took a tour of LiFT Academy, a… Read more »
Schools closed for storm: Schools across north-central and northwest Florida are closing because of Hurricane Michael, which is forecast to become a major hurricane by the time it hits somewhere in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday. Schools in Leon, Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla counties are closed today through Friday, as are several charter schools and universities… Read more »
ESSA plan approved: Florida’s plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act finally has won the approval of the U.S. Education Department. The state submitted five revisions of the accountability plan, including one this week, before Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gave her approval in a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. Florida had resisted… Read more »
