Bathroom fights: The Duval County School District, the school board and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti are being sued over the district's policy that permits children to use the bathrooms that conform to their gender identity. The suit was filed by Wes White, a Republican running for state attorney, on behalf of Wryshona Isaac and her four children. The suit says the policy "denies her children a safe and supportive environment.” Florida Times-Union. Florida Politics. Washington and Holmes counties school officials say they will not follow the Obama administration directive urging districts to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that conform to their gender identity. Panama City News Herald. The Collier County School Board is asking for input from the community to help set a bathroom policy for transgender students. All board members say the letter from the U.S. government was an "overreach." Naples Daily News.
Charters on notice: The Pinellas County School Board votes unanimously to cancel contracts with three Newpoint Education Partners charter schools in 90 days unless several financial and curriculum problems are corrected. Another charter school, Florida Virtual Academy, also was given notice because it has not met the requirements of a corrective action plan. The four schools have almost 1,000 students and collect $6 million in public money. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
School resegregation: The number of U.S. public schools that were both poor and racially segregated jumped from 7,009 in 2001 to 15,089 by 2013-2014, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. Los Angeles Times. Education Week.
Girls rule: For the first time, girls outscore boys on the National Assessment of Educational Progress national test of technology and engineering literacy among eighth-graders. Washington Post. THE Journal. (more…)
Turnaround strategy: A turnaround team proposes pay increases of up to $25,000 a year for teachers and administrators to work at five struggling St. Petersburg elementary schools. The team, led by Antonio Burt, also wants to lengthen the schools' day by an hour. The proposal goes to the Pinellas County School Board April 12. The schools, which are mostly black, became some of the worst in the state after the school board abandoned integration efforts in 2007, then did not follow through on providing the proper resources. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter connection? A charter school run by the wife of the next Florida House speaker is asking for permission to expand. The Legislature recently voted to shorten the period that charter schools must wait to get state money for construction. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, says the two events are not related, and that the legislative action was part of a broader reform. Tampa Bay Times.
Education on trial: Gainesville kindergarten teacher Susan Bowles testifies against the state in the Citizens for Strong Schools v. Board of Education, a civil trial in which the state is accused of not fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. Bowles, who opposes the state's testing requirements, told an attorney for the state that her students used to spend more time preparing for the test than the attorney spent getting ready to take his law school admission test. WCTV.
School uniforms: The Volusia County School Board approves school uniforms for students in every grade. Students will be required to wear collared polo or button-down shirts in specific colors with a wide variety of bottoms, including blue jeans. The board also changes the rules for athletic eligibility. Students no longer have to pass all classes to be eligible, but they do have to maintain a 2.0 grade point average. Daytona Beach News-Journal. (more…)
