State rules waived: Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart waive rules to allow students displaced by Hurricane Maria to enter schools in the state. Schools may now accept students who don't have documentation and hire teachers who don't have the paperwork proving they are certified. Stewart also waived the residency and student record rules for college students. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. News Service of Florida. Sun-Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Capitolist. Naples Herald. WMFE. WKMG. Only a fraction of the schools in Puerto Rico have reopened. Education Week.
Funding for arrivals: Florida school districts have been urged to accept any and all students displaced by the hurricane, but the Department of Education has not guaranteed it would provide extra dollars for those students. The DOE says the only districts that will get supplemental funding are those that see an enrollment increase by 5 percent or more, or schools with an enrollment bump of 25 percent or more. Legislators who urged the state to welcome displaced students are now lobbying state officials to cover all students. Miami Herald. Palm Beach Post.
Class time variations: When it came time to make up days lost to hurricanes, school officials quickly discovered a wide variation in classroom instruction time from district to district and even school to school within districts. That happens because, while every school has a minimum amount of instruction time required by the state, it also has discretion to set daily schedules that can lead to significant differences in classroom time. Some school officials say the discrepancy is no big deal, while others worry that some students are being shortchanged. Tampa Bay Times.
School marketing: Many for-profit schools in Florida and other states are offering rewards to students who persuade other students to enroll or who endorse the school on social media. The promotions often coincide with the time the states count enrollment to determine how much money each school receives. ProPublica.
Back to school: Most of Florida's 67 school districts have reopened or are expected to today, tomorrow or Wednesday, according to the Florida Department of Education. A handful of schools will start later, and Hardee County schools remain closed until further notice. School districts are also starting to consider how they'll make up the days missed. Florida Department of Education. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Naples Daily News. Associated Press. Daily Commercial. Keynoter. Charlotte Sun. WFLA. WTSP. WFTV. Gradebook. More reports on damages to schools. Fort Myers News-Press. Lakeland Ledger. Free school meals will be provided in all Florida counties affected by Hurricane Irma. Brevard Times. Experts say teachers should address Irma with students as classes resume, and give them a chance to discuss their experiences. Tampa Bay Times. About 8.5 million U.S. students lost classroom time due to Irma. USA Today. School officials pay tribute to school employees who worked at hurricane shelters. Ocala Star-Banner. Miami Herald. Will Irma be the impetus to require charter schools to be built to serve as hurricane shelters? WLRN. redefinED.
VAM questioned: Some education experts are questioning the effectiveness of the state's value-added model (VAM) for rating teachers. They say it's easier for a teacher to earn a high VAM score if she or he works at a school with few poor students. State education officials disagree, saying their research shows no bias against high-poverty schools in VAM data. The state has spent about $4 million of federal money to develop VAM, and pays $509,000 a year for analysis and reporting, says Florida Department of Education spokeswoman Audrey Walden. Florida Times-Union.
Child Baker Acts up: The number of children who are involuntarily committed for psychological evaluation is up significantly in Florida and Bay County. Across the state in the fiscal year 2015-2016, the number of children committed under the state's Baker Act was up about 34 percent over 2010-2011. In Bay County, the increase is 109 percent since 2011. The Baker Act is invoked most often when schoolchildren threaten suicide. Panama City News Herald.
Storm closes schools: All schools in Monroe County are closed today as the Keys are evacuated for Hurricane Irma. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Lee, Collier, Hernando, St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties are closing schools Thursday and Friday, and other districts around the state are monitoring the storm. Miami Herald. Miami Herald. WPEC. WPLG. Keynoter. Key West Citizen. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. TCPalm. Bay News 9. Gradebook. Florida Today. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Flagler Live. Citrus County Chronicle. WUSF. WFLA. WFTV. WLRN. WKRG. WPTV.
Undocumented immigrants: As expected, President Trump is ending the program that protects the children of undocumented immigrants. The program, called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, affects about 800,000 young people. Trump will delay implementing the end of the program for six months, and is challenging Congress to pass a “responsible immigration reform package” that includes protection for the so-called "dreamers" and border control. Associated Press. New York Times. Washington Post. Education Week. Chalkbeat. Florida school officials and students react to the decision. Palm Beach Post. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Naples Daily News. Fort Myers News-Press. Florida Education Association. Pensacola News Journal. Lakeland Ledger. Tallahassee Democrat.
Schools of hope: Fifty-seven of the 93 failing Florida schools are eligible for an additional $2,000 per student under the "schools of hope" provision of the new education law, H.B. 7069. Legislators decided a maximum of 25 of those schools will get the money, for a total outlay of $51.5 million of the $140 millions allotted in the law. The rest will go into a program to attract charter school companies into areas with persistently low-performing schools. Miami Herald.
Sales tax promoted: Hillsborough County school officials now say they may have no choice but to ask voters to approve a sales tax increase to pay for urgent infrastructure repairs. Years of deferred maintenance due to a financial crunch have resulted in broken air conditioners, leaking roofs and other problems at dozens of schools. "It's hard to build confidence when you send your kid to school and there's no AC in the school. It's hard to build confidence in your employees when they don't have AC in the classroom." says Chris Farkas, the district's chief operating officer. Tampa Bay Times.
Bright Futures: State Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, files a bill that would make the expansion of Bright Futures passed in this year's legislative session permanent. Under it, more than 46,000 qualifying Florida students would have state university tuition and fees fully covered. Senate leaders say they also want to expand the payments to Medallion Scholars, the next scholarship tier down, to cover 75 percent of tuition and fees. Sun-Sentinel. Gradebook. Bradenton Herald. Politico Florida. Associated Press. Sunshine State News.
Board term limits: State Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, files a bill that would limit school board members to two four-year terms. If the measure is approved in the Legislature, it also would need to be approved by 60 percent or more of voters since it would amend the state's constitution. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. WUSF. Monroe County School Board members are divided over the term limits proposal. Keynoter.
DeVos visit: On the second day of her visit to Florida, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos meets privately with education, business and advocacy group leaders to urge them to reshape the state's education system so it provides more choice for students and better prepares them for jobs. She also says the K-12 and higher education systems need to work better together. News Service of Florida. Miami Herald.
The sleep-in effect: A RAND Corp. study concludes that Florida would get a $9 billion economic boost over the next 15 years if schools adjusted their schedules to allow later starting times for students in middle and high schools. Later times would cut fatal car crashes and boost student performance, the theory goes, which in turn would boost the likelihood of students graduating and going to college. Miami Herald.
Retention lawsuit: Parents who launched a legal challenge against the state's policies on 3rd-grade retention are now asking a court to dismiss the case. They had challenged the policy that required students to take the Florida Standards Assessments reading test to be eligible for promotion, regardless of their academic performance. But they lost that case, and an appeal for the Florida Supreme Court to consider it, largely on the question of venue. The state contended the suits should have been filed in local courts. Gradebook.
H.B. 7069 lawsuit: Leon County school officials won't ask the school board to join the lawsuit challenging the state's new education law, H.B. 7069. The Florida Association of District School Superintendents also says it will not join the suit, saying those decisions are for local school boards. Eleven school boards have voted to join the suing coalition. They say the new law is unconstitutional because the bill covers more than one subject, and it forces districts to share tax money with charter schools while stripping those districts of authority over charters. WFSU.
DeVos visit: U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tours a private religious school and a charter school during a stop in Tallahassee, and touted the schools as "examples of what schools should aspire to be.” Her trip extends into today, when she will visit another private religious school. News Service of Florida. Tallahassee Democrat. Miami Herald. USA Today. Sunshine State News. WFSU. Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna is critical of DeVos' trip, saying "it’s insulting that she’s going to visit the capital of the state of Florida, to visit a charter school, a private school and a voucher school." Tallahassee Democrat. DeVos gave no indication during her trip if the U.S. Department of Education would be receptive to Florida's request for a waiver from requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Politico Florida.
By Jim Turner
News Service of Florida
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a supporter of voucher programs and charter schools, visited two Tallahassee schools, one a private religious school, the other a charter, for what she called a “learning” experience on Tuesday.
Democrats called the visit, which didn't include traditional public schools, a “photo op” and “publicity stunt.”
After a tour of Holy Comforter Episcopal School, DeVos highlighted innovations she saw at the school while defending the educational approach of President Donald Trump.
“I think they're examples of what a lot of schools should aspire to be and look for, opportunities to become more innovative,” DeVos told reporters. “I think that we need to recognize the fact that far too many schools have been stuck in a mode that is basically approaching things that have been done very similarly to 100 years ago. And the world today is much different. And we need to be acknowledging that and moving toward ways that really engage students and take their curiosity and really fire it up and stoke the curiosity to continue to learn.”
DeVos also toured Florida State University Schools, a charter school affiliated with the university's College of Education. (more…)
H.B. 7069: The Duval County School Board votes 4-2 to join at least 10 other districts in a lawsuit challenging the state's controversial new "schools of hope" legislation. “This is not about taking choices away from kids,” school board member Becki Couch says about the challenge to H.B. 7069. “This is not about disliking charter schools." Florida Times-Union. Florida Politics. WOKV. WJCT.
Third-grade retention: A new study in the Journal of Public Economics examines Florida's policy requiring most third graders to show basic reading proficiency before advancing to fourth grade. It finds mixed results. Students held back under the policy went on to perform better in high school, the study finds. But they still completed about the same number of credit-hours as their peers. They also graduated at roughly similar rates. Education Next.
School grades: Twenty-four of 33 south Florida schools that initially received incomplete grades from the state finally get their grades. Five receive A grades, and three alternative schools get an F. Sun-Sentinel. Nine Pasco County schools also finally get grades. Two improved, and seven maintained their 2016 grades. Gradebook.
DeVos visit: U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visits two Tallahassee schools today. This morning she's at a private school, Holy Comforter Episcopal School. In the afternoon she will tour the Florida State University High School, a developmental research charter school. Tallahassee Democrat. Miami Herald.
Charter lawsuits: An administrative law judge rules that the Florida Department of Education can withhold money from charter schools for construction and maintenance if they receive an F grade or two straight grades below C from the state. Charter school officials challenged the state's rules, claiming DOE officials had overstepped their legal authority. News Service of Florida. For the Palm Beach County School Board, fighting the education bill in court is progression in the district's ongoing battle against charter schools. The district has lost several cases to charters recently, but is likely to have other districts on its side this time. Several have announced a plan to sue the state over H.B. 7069, which they believe is too charter-friendly - at the expense if traditional public schools. Palm Beach Post. The Indian River County School Board is still trying to decide whether to appeal a judge's ruling that the district unlawfully withheld money from five charter schools. TCPalm.
Proposed budgets: The Polk County School will consider a proposed $1.4 billion budget that has a slightly lower tax rate. The budget calls for repairs to some schools, technology improvements at 30 schools and the purchase of 50 school buses. Lakeland Ledger. The Leon County School Board will vote this week on a $305 million budget that includes an $8 million boost in spending with a slightly lower tax rate. The district will trim capital spending from $105 million last year to $103 million this year, but also sets aside $250,000 for buying additional school supplies. Tallahassee Democrat. The Volusia County School District plans to shift $2 million from its savings to help balance its proposed $869.8 million budget. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
School funding: School officials in Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties complain that the state's funding formula for schools is discriminatory against their districts and 52 others in the state. Florida’s “district cost differential” takes money from 55 districts and sends it to a dozen school districts with higher costs of living. Orlando Sentinel. Volusia County School Board chairwoman Melody Johnson will visit schools around the state to gather support against the state's district cost differential formula it uses in determining how much money each district receives. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Activists in Florida join those across the country Saturday to rally behind public education. While many across the nation were protesting what they call Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' drive to privatize schools, those in Florida are largely angry with what they see as inequities in school funding and money being moved to charter schools from traditional public schools. Miami Herald. The Pinellas County School Board and Superintendent Michael Grego ask the county's legislative delegation for help in correcting what they're calling an "unjust" movement of money from districts for charter school construction and maintenance. Gradebook. (more…)
H.B. 7069: The controversial K-12 education bill H.B. 7069 has been sent to Gov. Rick Scott for consideration. He must make a decision on the bill by June 27, though there are reports that he intends to sign the bill Thursday in Orlando. The bill creates a fund to recruit high-performing charter schools into areas with persistently struggling schools, requires 20 minutes of recess a day for traditional public elementary school students and sets aside more than $200 million to provide bonuses for teachers and principals, among other things. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Gov. Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, were in Miami to make the first of five stops in a "victory tour" of Florida to celebrate the budget agreement. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Sun Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Hundreds of teachers protest the education bill at Gov. Scott's rally in Jacksonville Beach. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. Supporters and opponents of the education bill continue to pepper Gov. Scott with emails and calls. News Service of Florida. WKMG. WBBH. Florida Politics.
District finances: The Duval County School Board tentatively agrees to tap the district's reserves to help make up the difference between the money it expected from the state and what it actually will get. The district was expecting an extra $16 million after the budget deal in the special session. But the state told the district that about half of that needs to be set aside for mandates and charter schools. Florida Times-Union. Polk County school officials say the district will struggle to maintain reserves and give raises to teachers and staff under the level of funding the state has approved for education. The district expects to receive $6,983 per student from the state, which is $110 less than it received 10 years ago. Lakeland Ledger. The Manatee County School Board asks its attorney to write a resolution for a special election in March to raise property taxes for schools by 1 mill. The increase would raise about $30 million a year for the district. Bradenton Herald. The Cape Coral Charter School Governing Board tentatively approves a budget for its four schools that gives employees a 2 percent raise but cuts the number of teachers and administrators by 14. Lehigh Acres Citizen.
Audit raps district: The Broward County School District greatly overpaid asphalt contractors for athletic tracks and playgrounds and didn't get required permits, according to an internal audit. Forty-seven times between 2010 and 2017, the district paid $150 to $300 an hour for workers. In 2016, auditors say, the Palm Beach County School had similar work done and paid $15 to $45 an hour. The Broward district has a history of financial mismanagement in its facilities department, and is about to begin infrastructure updates covered by an $800 million bond approved by voters in 2014. Sun Sentinel. (more…)
Charter schools are not the "one cure-all to the ills that beset education." They shouldn't "become the man" or allow the movement to stifle itself with a new bureaucracy. Instead, they should focus on meeting the needs of each individual child.
That was the message U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos brought to thousands of charter school advocates gathered in the nation's capital.
It was a closely watched speech at what's been described as a pivotal political moment for the charter school movement. Some of its leaders have taken vocal stands against the Trump Administration and its proposed cuts to federal public education programs.
(more…)
