Scholarships appeal: Three judges of the First District Court of Appeal hold a 50-minute hearing to consider whether the Florida Education Association and others have standing to challenge the constitutionality of the state's tax-credit scholarship program. The judges also must decide if there is a specific harm to public schools. No ruling was issued. The FEA says the program diverts money from public schools. The state says the plaintiffs have no standing to sue because no public money goes into the program. Instead, companies make donations and get tax credits in return. A circuit judge ruled in the state's favor last year. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, administers tax-credit scholarships for almost 80,000 low-income students, and also the Gardiner Scholarships for students with disabilities. Miami Herald. redefinED. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. WFSU. Associated Press.

Science tests moved: The statewide science assessments tests have been moved from March 27-31, 2017, to May 1-5, the state Department of Education announces. Administrators and teachers complained that with the earlier date, they wouldn't have been able to cover all the material the students need to know before taking the tests. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook.

Magnet plan: Pinellas County School Superintendent Michael Grego says he's prepared to kill a proposal to start magnet programs at six failing elementary schools. The programs were announced last week as a way to attract new students and improve the schools. But leaders in the black community are skeptical that the programs would address the needs of the low-performing students already there. Tampa Bay Times.

Grade changes: Some members of the Broward County School Board are pushing the district to award A+ grades, just as they give out B+, C+ and D+ grades. A school district committee did not agree, and the matter will be discussed later. Sun-Sentinel.

Sparring in Duval: Duval County School Board member Constance Hall charges that she was followed after a board meeting in November by "someone" related to Superintendent Nikolai Vitti who was driving a dark SUV. At that meeting, Hall presented a letter criticizing Vitti for what she called disrespectful communication from the superintendent toward several board members. Vitti says his wife and chief of staff were in a dark SUV that night, but were not following Hall. Florida Times-Union. (more…)

Teacher turnover: School districts in west-central Florida are struggling to find teachers willing to work in low-income and low-rated schools. Incentive money alone is not working. "It's working conditions above anything else that determines whether teachers stay or go," says Sonja Santelises, vice president of K-12 policy at the Education Trust, whose group has researched schools in poor neighborhoods that achieve high results. Tampa Bay Times. Opt-outs by teachers and principals are creating substantial numbers of openings at low-rated schools in Pinellas County that the district has targeted for turnaround. Gradebook.

Top teacher finalist: Laurie Zentz, the band director at Switzerland Point Middle School in St. Johns County, is one of five finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced in July. WJXT. Florida Times-Union. St. Augustine Record.

Debit cards and food: Orange County teachers are angry that the district is ordering them to repay any food purchases they made with their state-issued "classroom supply" debit cards. District officials said they were following orders from the state that prohibit food purchases. When asked directly about it Friday, district officials said food bought for academic lessons, such as science experiments, doesn't have to be reimbursed. That message was not shared across the district, though. Florida provides districts money for teachers to buy "classroom materials and supplies" for students. Orange County's teachers had $275 each to spend this school year. Orlando Sentinel.

Education lawsuit: A group of black pastors is urging the state NAACP to drop out of the lawsuit challenging the legality of tax-credit scholarships. “We see no principled reason to fight an education program that is targeted exclusively at low-income children and has a 14-year track record of helping black students succeed,” according to a petition directed to the NAACP. A Leon County Circuit Court judge dismissed the case last May, and an appeal will be heard Tuesday by the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, administers tax-credit scholarships for about 80,000 low-income students, and also the Gardiner Scholarships for students with disabilities. Politico Florida. (more…)