Teachers losing jobs: More than 900 Florida teachers - many of whom were rated effective on their evaluations - are out of a job because they couldn't pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exam. The exam, which includes a variety of subject area exams and general knowledge tests, was toughened three years ago and the number of teachers failing continues to rise, despite state officials' belief that scores will improve over time. The failures are putting a strain on districts that are already struggling to hire teachers. “Yes, these are good teachers," says Gail Williams, director of the Palm Beach County School District’s Department of Retention and Recruitment, about the 148 her district is losing. "It’s frustrating because we would have loved to have kept those teachers.” WFTS.

GOP backs Amendment 8: The Republican Party of Florida is donating $100,000 in support of constitutional Amendment 8, which would impose term limits on school board members, require civics education for all Florida students and allow entities other than local school boards to approve charter schools and other public education initiatives. The Florida League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center recently filed a lawsuit alleging that the proposal is misleading and is asking a court to remove the amendment from the ballot. News Service of Florida. The Sarasota County School Board squabbles over a resolution to oppose Amendment 8, eventually voting 3-2 in favor of it. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida League of Women Voters president Patricia Brigham talks about her group's lawsuit to try to have Amendment 8 removed from  the November ballot. Gradebook. (more…)

New rules for scholarships: The Florida Board of Education approves rules for two new scholarship programs created by the Legislature. The Hope Scholarship gives students who are victims of bullying, intimidation, sexual offenses or violence the opportunity to ask for a transfer to another public school or to receive a scholarship to a private school. Students may apply in October. The scholarships for struggling readers in 3rd through 5th grades who don't pass the state test will be open for applications next month. Both are administered by Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog and also helps administer the state's tax credit and Gardiner scholarship programs. redefinED. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Politico Florida.

Charter rejections reversed: The Florida Board of Education also overturns the Palm Beach County School Board's rejection of two charter schools' applications. Board members followed the recommendation of the Charter School Appeal Commission, which said the school board did not have good cause to reject the applications from the South Palm Beach Charter K-8 school and Renaissance Charter High School. Sun-Sentinel. redefinED. The board also approved, with conditions, turnaround plans for struggling schools in several Florida districts. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Times-Union.

Tax hikes for raises: The Miami-Dade County School Board will ask voters in November for an increase in property taxes to give teachers and other employees a pay raise, and to hire additional security personnel for schools. If approved, the tax would raise about $232 million a year for four years. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is proposing that 90 percent of the money raised be used for salary hikes, which could mean pay raises of up to 20 percent for some teachers. Miami Herald. WLRN. The Palm Beach County School Board unanimously decides to ask voters in November to approve higher property taxes. If approved, the measure would generate an additional $200 million a year for four years, which the district would use for higher teacher salaries, school security and mental health counseling, and to maintain its arts, music, physical education, career and technical education programs. The measure does not set aside a set percentage for charter schools. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. Members of the Bay County Citizen’s Oversight Committee tour schools as they consider security upgrades and future half-cent sales tax projects. Panama City News Herald.

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Amendment 8 lawsuit: Amendment 8 is misleading and should be removed from the ballot, the League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center argue in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Leon County. The lawsuit focuses on the part of the proposed amendment that would allow allow entities other than school boards to “operate, control, and supervise” public schools. “Voters will not recognize that the real purpose of the amendment is to allow unaccountable political appointees to control where and when charter schools can be established in their county,” says LWV president Patricia Brigham. The amendment would also limit school board members to eight years in office and require the teaching of civics in public schools. redefinED. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. GateHouse. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics. Politico Florida.

Charter school appeals: The Florida Charter Schools Appeal Commission is recommending that the state Board of Education override the Palm Beach County School Board's decision to deny two charter school applications. And Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is recommending the board go along with the appeal commission's advice when it meets next week. Charters that don't fill a specific niche have been getting turned down by the Palm Beach board for the past five years. But as Stewart points out in her memo to the state board, "The school board's determination must be based on good cause." Gradebook.

Union membership: Teachers unions in Orange, Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties say membership is on the upswing since the state passed a law requiring unions to have at least 50 percent membership of eligible workers or risk being decertified. Union officials in all four counties say the recent swell has pushed each past the 50 percent threshhold. Teachers unions in 13 districts have membership below 50 percent but most have been adding members, according to Joanne McCall, president of the statewide Florida Education Association. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

The League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center are challenging the wording of a Florida ballot measure that could, among other things, overhaul charter school authorizing in the state.

The proposed Amendment 8 would do three things if voters approve it this fall. It would impose term limits on elected school board members, elevate the importance of civic literacy and allow entities other than school boards to "operate, control, and supervise" public schools.

That third part has drawn the most attention from critics. And it's the focus of the lawsuit, filed this morning in Leon County court.

Florida is somewhat unique compared to other states. Its constitution creates 67 countywide school boards. Courts have held that, with certain, narrow exceptions, those countywide school boards have the exclusive power over public schools. That means statewide charter school authorizing boards, like the one that exists in Massachusetts, are unconstitutional.

The proposed amendment, drafted by the Constitution Revision Commission, would change that by adding the underlined words to the state constitution.

(b) The school board shall operate, control, and supervise all free public schools established by the district school board within the school district and determine the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance joint educational programs.

A proposed ballot summary, intended to explain the change to voters when they go to the polls in November, describes the change this way: (more…)

Charters and Amendment 8: Charter school companies are providing the bulk of the financial support for Amendment 8, the proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a two-term limit on Florida school board members, require civics literacy and give the Legislature more authority to create alternatives to public schools, such as charter schools. The 8isGreat.org political committee has raised $54,532 in support of Amendment 8 through June, according to state election records. Amendments need the approval of 60 percent of voters to be enacted. News Service of Florida.

Charter school funding: Whether charter schools can expect an equal per-student share of school district money raised when voters approve an increase in property taxes hinges on a legal interpretation. State law requires districts to share “current operating discretionary millage levy” with charter schools, but the Palm Beach County School Board recently got a legal opinion that says it does not. The school board will decide next week whether to share increased revenue if voters approve an increase in property taxes. redefinED.

Schools and pot dispensaries: Duval County School Board members are asking local officials to add restrictions to keep medical marijuana dispensaries from opening near three-dozen schools. They say because the facilities deal in cash, they could become robbery targets. “We have had enough code red lockdowns in the past year,” says board member Warren Jones. “There’s no need to increase them because a marijuana facility was robbed.” Jacksonville City Council members say by law, dispensaries must be treated like pharmacies and can open in most commercial areas. Florida Times-Union. (more…)

School security: Broward County School Board members express support for the hiring of armed "guardians" to protect schools that don't have sworn resource officers. Board members say they would prefer the guardians to be retired police officers or military veterans. Most would be stationed in elementary schools. Sun-Sentinel. The Lake County School Board approves a security plan that will put a resource officer in every school and arm some school administrators. Daily Commercial. The Volusia County School District has paid 100 percent of the cost for having deputies at middle and high schools since 2008. But with the law now requiring an armed guard in every school, school officials are asking the county for help to hire armed guardians to cover elementary schools. Daytona Beach News-Journal. The Polk County Sheriff's Office has begun training more than 100 applicants to become armed guardians. Training includes handgun and rifle handling, how to engage active shooters and written tests. WFTS. WKMG. Lakeland Ledger. The Manatee County School Board is considering several changes to its student conduct code that are required by new state laws. The proposals revise the situations in which the district can send students to mental health agencies, when it can remove students through the Baker or Marchman acts, would broaden the definition of a threat to any of its schools, and would prohibit firearms from being stored in students' vehicles. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota County school leaders meet with law enforcement officials today to discuss school security and the district's proposal to start its own police force. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Northwest Florida school and law enforcement officials meet to share ideas on how to provide school security. Panama City News Herald.

Amendments support: Only four of the 13 constitutional amendments that will be on November's ballot have the support needed to pass, according to a poll from the Florida Chamber of Commerce. One of of the four is Amendment 8, which would limit school board members' terms to eight years, require the teaching of civic literacy in public schools and establish an alternative path to approval for public and charter schools that does not involve local school districts. The poll indicated 75 percent support for Amendment 8. Sixty percent is required for passage. News Service of Florida.

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Tony Bennett. The Orlando Sentinel hopes the new commissioner, who begins work today, “treads with discretion.” The Associated Press recalls his tenure in Indiana and ties to Jeb Bush.

Expand school choice now! Sort of. The Tampa Bay Times means options under district control: “The broader answer to improving public education in Pinellas is not a massive expansion of fundamental schools. It's raising the quality of all schools. But increasing the seats for fundamental schools and popular magnet programs to more closely match demand is a discussion district leaders should begin. Otherwise, they risk losing more families to charter schools and private schools — and further undermining broad support for public education.”

Slow down on charter schools. The Palm Beach Post says in one editorial that the Legislature should prioritize traditional public schools over charters. It says in another that the Palm Beach County district’s decision to transfer a troubled principal into administration will give lawmakers an excuse to continue favoring charters.

Checking out choice. In Alachua County, 600 middle school students turn out to see career academy options, reports the Gainesville Sun. In Duval, magnet students spread the word about their programs to prospective students, reports the Florida Times Union. In Miami-Dade, tens of thousands of parents are expected to apply for hundreds of magnet programs, reports the Miami-Herald. In Manatee, the Rock Your Robot Fair lets parents know about STEM options in public and private schools, reports the Bradenton Herald. (In Collier County, businesses urge students to explore STEM, reports the Naples Daily News.) The Tampa Bay Times annual school search section for Pinellas includes information about public and private options, including tax credit scholarships.

Amendment 8. The ACLU saw the proposed amendment, which despite perception had little to do with private school vouchers, as part of a "wide-ranging assault" on Floridians' rights last year by Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led Legislature, reports the Florida Current.

“Sagging schools.” Tampa Bay Times business columnist Robert Trigaux: “Beneath the top tier of students, our schools at all levels are struggling to educate our kids. Businesses need to help more. And the state needs to spend less time bragging about the educational system and admit it needs assistance.” (more…)

Testing for “voucher” kids. The Orlando Sentinel editorial board concludes tax credit scholarship students should take the same standardized tests as their public school peers: “Comparing apples to apples, scholastically speaking, will enhance transparency and accountability.”

From Florida with love: A Florida education advocate named Lowell Levine gets extended mention in the latest Rick Hess column, a follow-up to a piece about the unfortunate politicization of Newtown. Levine tells Hess, in part: You just do not want to hear the truth ---it is writers like you who are in denial and contribute to violence in schools. You are a shame to your profession. Good by and have a great life------A$$@#%&!!!!!... I’m not sure if it’s the same guy, but a Lowell Levine in South Florida applied to be Florida ed commish and, according to the Palm Beach Post, founded an anti-bullying foundation.

Education funding. From a Miami Herald year-end-wrap-up editorial: “Investments in education pay off. That’s a lesson Gov. Rick Scott seems to be learning as he pushed to restore some of the K-12 funding that he previously cut.”

“Lower ed.” Former Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson makes the year-in-review from Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano.

Class size. Do districts need more flexibility? asks Gradebook. SchoolZone looks at compliance in Central Florida districts.

The year’s biggest education stories. According to StateImpact Florida. Amendment 8 is in there.

End of course exams. DOE will study the possibility of concordant scores for the Algebra I test, reports SchoolZone.

More Newtown repercussions. Armed deputies may be patrolling Alachua County elementary schools when students return Jan. 3, reports the Gainesville Sun.

Florida Board of Education openings. Two coming up, notes Gradebook.

When Florida and Mississippi schools were peas in a pod. Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

Tax credit scholarships in Chronicle of Philanthropy. (subscription required) The story leads with Step Up For Students and quotes “neovoucher” expert Kevin Welner: “He also argues that most states don't really know if they are saving money, since few have closely tracked how many students receiving scholarships would have gone to private schools without them.” Welner has raised this argument before, and it’s not the case in Florida, as redefinED has noted.

Charter school facilities funding. A state task force deadlocks on recommendations, reports the St. Augustine Record.

Charter school pay raises. Charter schools in Lake Wales look for ways to compensate their teachers, reports the News Chief.

F charter schools. Two in Escambia offer updates to the school board, reports the Pensacola News Journal.

Amendment 8 in the Washington Post. The amendment and its impact on vouchers is referenced, incorrectly, in a story on quality control issues with the D.C. voucher program. Here again is the real story.

Promise of online learning. Pinellas math and statistics teacher Rob Tarrou puts his lessons online, a la Khan Academy, and wins fans around the world, reports the Tampa Bay Times. My favorite graph: “A reporter recently asked students in that statistics class how many had other teachers post educational videos online. No one raised a hand. Next, students were asked how many wished their other teachers would post videos online. Nearly all raised their hands.” See a “Tarrou’s Chalk Talk” video here.

Valerie Strauss on Tony Bennett coming to Florida: Column here.

Rick Scott’s ed plan falls short. Especially on charter schools, editorializes the Tampa Bay Times.

Republican hubris and Amendment 8: In its roundup of election winners and losers, the Tampa Bay Times suggests Amendment 8 had a lot to do with vouchers – and that it fits into the narrative about GOP overreach.

Contracting complaints. At the Division of Blind Services, which falls under the Florida Department of Education, reports the Tampa Bay Times.