Single gender. The Hillsborough District responds to an ACLU complaint. Tampa Tribune.
Tax credit scholarships.Sunshine State News reports on the latest evaluation of student results.
Digital learning. A Collier bring-your-own device policy proves popular. Naples Daily News.
Testing. The Lee County School Board discusses a district-wide testing boycott. Fort Myers News-Press.
Accountability. Brevard's superintendent discusses falling school grades. Florida Today.
Budgets. The Manatee school district faces an investigation into bond funding it could not account for. Bradenton Herald.
Campaigns. A "contract" between voters and five school board candidates stirs controversy in Collier. Naples Daily News. The Tampa Bay Times profiles a three-way race for an open school board seat in Pinellas while a columnist looks at a controversial incumbent in Hillsborough. The Tampa Tribune profiles a different Pinellas race, while the Bradenton Herald looks at one in Manatee.
English language learners. Pinellas looks to review its policies for students who need help learning English. Tampa Tribune.
Superintendents. Hillsobrough's MaryEllen Elia gets a contract renewal. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune.
Facilities. Polk County delays the release of impact fee revenue to the local school district. Lakeland Ledger.
Charter schools. A veteran Pasco County teacher prepares to open a charter school to realize her vision for what education should look like. Tampa Bay Times. A South Florida city commission considers zoning changes after rejecting a charter school application. Tamarac Talk.
School grades. They're coming out today for middle and elementary schools. The Times offers a sneak peak of Tampa Bay-area results.
Top teachers. A Central Florida art teacher is named Teacher of the Year. Associated Press. Lakerland Ledger.
Common Core. Hillsborough schools officials plan public meetings on the Florida Standards. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. Collier County teachers face consequences for helping students on exams. Naples Daily News,
Administration. Top Manatee County administrators say under a new superintendent, their district is overcoming years of past problems. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Campaigns. Collier school board candidates talk special needs and other issues at a candidate forum. Naples Daily News.
STEM. A Collier high school student excels at a Google science fair. Fort Myers News-Press.
Technology. StateImpact delves into E-rate, the obscure funding source helping schools go wireless. Hillsborough officials say they've worked most of the kinks out of their online gradebook software. Tampa Tribune. Manatee schools upgrade their Microsoft suite. Bradenton Herald.
Growth. Escambia officials are pushing a local school tax as a way to fund new buildings needed to accommodate an expected influx of jobs to the area. Pensacola News-Journal.
Teachers unions. The Sun-Sentinel reports on the Florida Education Association's intervention in an ongoing leadership election dispute in Palm Beach County.
Testing. Collier County schools officials say they're still waiting on the state to release a test item bank. Naples Daily News.
Low-income students. Hillsborough schools help outfit students with clothing, hygiene items, and other essentials. Tampa Tribune.
Retention. Collier schools look to get third graders up to grade level. Naples Daily News.
Report cards: Palm Beach County second-graders won't see traditional A-F grades on report cards this year as the district moves toward a standard-based system. Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools: There are already 40 charter schools in Palm Beach County, serving 12,000 students, with another 11 set to open this fall. Palm Beach Post.
More magnets: Palm Beach County school board members want more arts high school and middle school magnet programs. Palm Beach Post.
Tony Bennett: Indiana school officials continue to investigate school grading manipulation that could result in changes to that state's system created by Tony Bennett. Associated Press.
Back to school: One of Central Florida's largest back-to-school events, which has drawn 30,000 people, will be held this year at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando Sentinel.
FCAT: "Don't, don't, don't focus on the FCAT," Pasco County schools Superintendent Kurt Browning tells the staff at Lacoochee Elementary, a D school tapped by the state for a turnaround. "I don't care about FCAT. I don't." Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher conduct: A special-education specialist fired for her role in a high-profile scandal is reinstated by the Miami-Dade School Board. Miami Herald. Another Manatee County school administrator is placed on paid leave during an ongoing investigation into a former football coach accused of groping students. The Tampa Tribune. More from the Bradenton Herald.
Library cuts: The Miami-Dade School Board may open some of the district’s libraries after hours to offset the closure of some 14 facilities. Miami Herald. (more…)
Common Core: Protesters gather at a Broward County School Board meeting to show they don't support the new Common Core education standards. Miami Herald. State Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, organizes a panel to talk about education reform and Common Core. Florida Times-Union. Step Up For Students' vice president of student learning talks about why private schools are signing on for the measures. Education Week.
Bennett and school grades: Former Florida Sen. Paula Dockery shares her thoughts about Tony Bennett and school grades, asking "Isn't it time for an honest conversation on doing away with a school-grading system that is costly, divisive and unreliable?'' The Ledger.
Conduct: A Rodgers Middle School assistant principal fights for his job after the Hillsborough County school district fired him following the death of a special-needs student at his school. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.
Debit cards: Leon County joins other school districts that won't be offering teacher debit cards issued by Gov. Scott. Tallahassee Democrat.
Extended day: Broward County joins the list of districts where low-performing schools will offer students an additional hour of class time. Sun Sentinel. Palm Beach County will spend $7 million to add an hour to the school day at four low-performing schools. Palm Beach Post.
School funding: The half-cent sales tax is the only funding source the district has for capital projects, writes Shannon Nickinson for the Pensacola News Journal.
Charter schools: Pasco County gets its first virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy of Pasco. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Interim chief: Florida's chancellor of public schools, Pam Stewart, will step in again as interim education commissioner after Tony Bennett's resignation. The Buzz. Is all this hoopla a sign the top education post should be an elected position? The Buzz. And the Sun Sentinel editorialized, "Rather than a divisive leader, let's find a crusader who can rally disparate people around a common shared value: creating a prosperous future for Florida's children.'' More from John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times.
Hot mess: The Orlando Sentinel's Scott Maxwell writes that even before Tony Bennett resigned, we knew things were messed up with Florida education. Bennett's controversy casts a pall on school grading systems. Times/Herald. More from TCPalm and Tallahassee Democrat. "If the goal of school grades is to clearly communicate quality, then Florida has consistently earned an F,'' writes Mark Woods of the Florida Times-Union.
Civil rights: The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and the Southern Poverty Law Center file a complaint alleging the state's race-based education goals for minority students violate civil rights law. Sun Sentinel.
Outreach: Broward County's South Plantation High School students start a website for socially isolated middle school students. Sun Sentinel. Miami's Edison High offers dual-language program in English and Creole. Miami Herald. A preschool for students with autism expands into an academy for 5- and 6-year-olds with the disorder. Miami Herald.
Charter schools: An F grade for Orange County's Renaissance Charter School at Chickasaw Trail could result in its parent chain, Charter Schools USA, losing its "high-performing'' status. Orlando Sentinel. Academica is taking over the small Somerset Bay at Pinewood Acres charter in East Kendall, but hasn't told residents how many students to expect. Miami Herald. Polk County school district receives five new charter applications. The Ledger.
Career academies: The Miami-Dade school district hopes to start a Transportation Academy at three of its schools to meet projected growth of new jobs. Miami Herald. (more…)
School grades. A sharply divided state Board of Education votes to keep the "safety net" provision intact for another year, meaning no schools will see their grades fall by more than one letter grade. Coverage from Orlando Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post, Lakeland Ledger, Gainesville Sun, Tallahassee Democrat, Tampa Tribune, Bradenton Herald, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Fort Myers News Press, Associated Press, StateImpact Florida, Florida Current, TCPalm.com, Education Week.
A look at grade projections. Gradebook, Tallahassee Democrat. School grades are no longer an accurate barometer of school performance, the state admits. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Frank Cerabino: "When the going gets tough, the definition of success gets changed."
The Foundation for Florida's Future argued against the move. Gradebook, SchoolZone. The grading system needs some accountability of its own. Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas officials question whether school grades should remain in the district's strategic plan. Gradebook. Reaction in Duval. Florida Times Union. The view in Marion. Ocala Star Banner.
Charter schools. With 42 charters and counting, Hillsborough creates a new position: charter schools director. Tampa Bay Times. Pasco may consider a charter that seeks to offer "hands-on education with farm animals for children with mild intellectual disabilities." Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher conduct: Police say they found child pornography on the computer of a former private school teacher in West Palm Beach already facing charges of molesting fourth graders. Palm Beach Post.
Teacher pay. The Collier County School Board votes to give teachers a 1 percent bonus, but no raise. Naples Daily News.
Community support. The Ridgecrest community in Largo rallies to help its kids take advantage of a new summer school program in Pinellas. Tampa Bay Times.
Ed politics. The National Education Association lines up behind Democratic congressional candidate Gwen Graham, who is hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Panama City. Florida Current.
Online learning. Broward College creates Broward College Online. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Flagler considers distributing thousands of laptops to high school students next year. Daytona Beach News Journal. Patricia Levesque, executive director of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, tells the News Service of Florida (subscription required) that it didn't get traction on its top priority last spring but will continue to push for it: moving the state "to a one-to-one student-to-technology-or-digital-device ratio by 2016."
Dual enrollment. Add the Pensacola News Journal to the list of papers writing on the cost shift to districts for dual enrollment.
Teacher conduct. Parents file a second lawsuit against a Coconut Creek preschool after allegations that students were molested by a music teacher. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Teacher pay. The Collier County School Board will decide whether teachers get a raise in the wake of a special magistrate's recommendation in favor of it. Naples Daily News.
Early learning. Ninety community leaders gather in Pensacola to stress its importance. Pensacola News Journal.
School discipline. Expulsions down a lot in Hillsborough. Tampa Bay Times.
STEM. Hundreds of students participate in STEM-focused summer camps organized by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Stetson University and Daytona State College. Daytona Beach News Journal.
Charter schools. The charter schools in Pinellas expect to add 1,400 students this fall, for a total of nearly 6,500. Gradebook. A new charter school in Naples is offering a summer camp to boost literacy skills for ELL students entering kindergarten. Fort Myers News Press. The struggling Tiger Academy charter school in Jacksonville shows big improvement in its third grade FCAT results. Florida Times Union.
Private schools. Q&A with the new head of Tampa's Carrollwood Day School. Tampa Tribune.
Teacher transfers. Alexander Russo takes a look at a recent study examining involuntary transfers in Miami-Dade.
School spending. Pasco anticipates $1 billion in capital expenses through 2025 and $711 million from all funding sources. Gradebook. Pasco considers shifting some school start times to save money on bus routes. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendents. The Tampa Bay Times profiles new Hernando Superintendent Lori Romano.
Porn. Pasco deputies arrest a 15-year-old high school student for possession of child pornography after school officials find a photo on her iPhone of two teens having sex. Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay Times.
Head Start. The feds uphold the suspension of the Jacksonville Urban League as a program provider, citing health and safety issues. Florida Times Union.
Charter schools. They're becoming more involved in the political process, reports the Florida Times Union. The Bradenton Herald takes a look at the challenges ahead for Rowlett Elementary, the Bradenton magnet that's becoming a charter school. So does the Sarasota Herald Tribune. (Sidebar on other charter school conversions here.) The fledgling Ben Gamla charterschool in Pinellas closes because of a dispute with its national board, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The Lake Wales Charter School system has more than 400 students on a waiting list for its middle school, prompting debate how to expand, reports the Lakeland Ledger.
Dual enrollment. Districts are chafing at having to pick up the tab, reports the Tampa Bay Times. More from the Northwest Florida Daily News.
School choice. The lottery process will be a topic for discussion at a school choice summit in Palm Beach County. Extra Credit.
Common Core. Training helps teachers instill love of math, reports StateImpact Florida. It's clear, concise and good for kids, says a teacher at a high-poverty school in this column by Karin Choweth at Ed Trust (H/T Tampa Bay Times).
Testing. The Happy Scientist raises questions about the science FCAT. Miami Herald.
Humanities. Don't forget them amidst the growing emphasis on STEM. Tampa Bay Times.
School technology. Hillsborough teachers like BYOD. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
