florida-roundup-logoLawsuit dismissed: Florida has not failed to fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students, a circuit court judge has ruled. Judge George Reynolds III dismissed the suit brought by Citizens for Strong Schools and others against the State Department of Education and legislative leaders. The plaintiffs charged that the state's racial achievement gap, emphasis on testing and lack of adequate funding kept the state from satisfying the terms of a 1998 constitutional amendment. Reynolds disagreed. "The weight of the evidence shows that the state has made education a top priority both in terms of implementation of research-based education policies and reforms, as well as education funding," he wrote. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Orlando SentinelGainesville Sun. WFSU. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Associated Press.  redefinED.

Bush is back: Former presidential candidate Jeb Bush is elected chairman and president of the board of directors of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. He replaces Condoleezza Rice. Bush formed the foundation in 2007 after two terms as Florida governor. He suspended his presidential campaign three months ago. The Hill. Miami HeraldTampa Bay Times. Florida Politics. Sunshine State News.

Discrimination query: Federal grants are being withheld as the Polk County School District's harassment and discrimination policies are under review by the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice. School Board attorney Wes Bridges says the move is most likely tied to the Obama administration directive saying transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom of their gender identity. Lakeland Ledger.

Bathroom rights: The Obama administration directive on allowing transgender students to use the bathroom conforming to their gender identity could lead to a boom in school bathroom construction. In an email to his colleagues, Sumter County School Superintendent Richard Shirley wrote: "Students will be expected to use group restroom facilities based on their birth gender until necessary remodeling takes place to insure the safety, privacy and comfort of all students in single unisex restroom facilities." Gradebook.

District sex survey: Citing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases rates, the Hillsborough County School Board agrees to survey students about their sexual behavior. Parents can have their children opt out. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

florida-roundup-logoBook banned: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a coming of age novel by Stephen Chbosky, is being removed from the curriculum at Pasco Middle School. A school-based committee made up of parents, teachers and administrators decided the book was too sexually graphic. A district committee agrees, and recommends it be banned from all district schools. That decision will be made by School Superintendent Kurt Browning. Tampa Bay Times.

Bathroom fight: A vote on a proposed change in the Duval County School District's bathroom policy is tabled after a city attorney cautioned members about making public comments. John Phillips, general counsel for the city, says any comments could be used against the board in a lawsuit brought by a mother of four district students. That mother says the current policy, which bans discrimination due to gender identity, race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, deprives her children of the "right to bodily privacy.” Florida Times-Union. Gov. Rick Scott tells an Orlando TV station: "If this federal mandate means that a man could walk into the bathroom of a young lady or the locker room of a young lady, that is clearly concerning.” It was Scott's first public reaction to the Obama administration directive to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity or face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid. WESH.

Expulsions, suspensions: A community group made up law enforcement officials, attorneys, judges, school officials and academics is trying to create a program to cut back the Sarasota County School District's use of expulsions and out-of-school suspensions. The group hopes to land a $4 million grant to create a Juvenile Court Intervention Team at some high schools. Those teams work with students to minimize time spent out of school. The district expelled the second-highest number of students in the state from 2010 to 2014. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

florida-roundup-logoEducation legislation: A massive state education bill that widens school choice is awaiting Gov. Rick Scott's signature. The bill changes the was charter school facilities funding is distributed, limits school districts’ spending on capital projects, allows open enrollment for all K-12 public school students, grants immediate eligibility for high school athletes who transfer schools, and more. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Lakeland Ledger. News Service of Florida. redefinED. The education bill could change the landscape of high school sports in the state. Florida Times-Union. The Foundation for Florida’s Future praises the work of the Legislature on educational issues. Florida Politics. Wondering about a specific bill? This database has information on all 260 bills passed. Politico Florida.

Teacher bonuses. Five senators voted against the $49 million set aside for the state's "Best and Brightest" teacher bonus program. Politico Florida. A St. Petersburg city councilman who thinks teachers are unfairly targeted by legislators says those lawmakers should release their SAT or ACT scores. The state's teacher bonuses program, which is based partially on teachers' SAT or ACT scores, was extended for a year by the Legislature. Tampa Bay Times.

Principal autonomy: Principals in seven Florida school districts are being given greater authority to deal with low-performing public schools through a bill that was approved Friday. The districts are Broward, Pinellas, Palm Beach, Duval, Jefferson, Madison and Seminole. Officials must get approval from the state by identifying three D or F schools and offering a plan for principals at those schools to better use resources. Miami Herald.

What didn't pass: Among the major education proposals that were not passed by the Legislature: Allowing students to take computer coding to fulfill a foreign language requirement; allowing students to use alternative tests, such as the SAT or ACT, instead of the Florida Standards Assessments; requiring daily recess for all elementary students; creation of a state board to supervise charter schools; and making the education commissioner an elected position and placing it back in the Cabinet. Miami Herald. WFSU.

Kindergarten readiness: For a second straight year, the Florida Office of Early Learning will not release kindergarten readiness rates. Pensacola News Journal. Related stories: The rules for measuring kindergarten readiness keep changing. What is kindergarten readiness? Author Dr. Dana Suskind says early education offers the biggest return on investment. Suskind promotes the three T's - tune in, talk more, take turns - as keys to getting children ready for learning. (more…)

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