Graduation path: State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Citrus County, files a bill that would give students a way to graduate without passing the Algebra I or the 10th-grade language arts Florida Standards Assessment exams. H.B. 407 would allow graduation for students who have earned 24 credits with a 2.0 GPA if they earn an industry certification, complete a classroom performance portfolio or post an adequate score on an alternative test. Gradebook.
When a 66 is an A: The Pinellas County School Board approves the use of common exams for high school health and physical education, biology, U.S. history and art classes. Common exams, which are already used in the county's middle schools, have a wider grade scale range. In history, for example, a score of 66 is considered an A. School officials say the tests are hard, and the scale doesn't lower standards but are a valid way to bring uniformity across the county. Tampa Bay Times.
Board issuing bonds: The Manatee County School Board authorizes the issuing of $150 million in sales tax revenue bonds to build three new schools. The schools are a 2,000-student high school in Parrish for $80 million, an 823-student elementary school for $20 million and a 1,164-student middle school for $45 million. Bradenton Herald.
Addressing growth: The Brevard County School Board will consider a plan to deal with expected growth over the next five years. For the next school year, the plan would include portable classrooms, converting a district building into a school, adding classrooms at existing schools and redrawing boundaries for some schools. In future years the plans also include new construction. Florida Today. (more…)
Choice lawsuit dismissed: The Florida Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by several groups that were challenging the constitutionality of the state’s tax credit scholarship program. The vote was 4-1. The decision upholds an appeals court ruling that the plaintiffs, including the Florida Education Association and the Florida NAACP, did not have standing to file the suit. About 98,000 low-income children are attending private schools with the help of the scholarships, which are funded by a law that permits corporations to donate money to the program and get a tax credit. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the scholarships. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Tallahassee Democrat. Gradebook. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. redefinED. Florida Politics. Sunshine State News. Joanne McCall, president of the Florida Education Association, wonders who can challenge the Legislature on the tax credit scholarship program. “This ruling, and the decisions by the lower court, doesn’t answer that question,” she said in a statement. “We still believe that the tax credit vouchers are unconstitutional, but we haven’t had the opportunity to argue our case in court.” Florida Politics.
Charter law upheld: An appeals court upholds a Florida law that allows the Board of Education to overturn a local district's denial of a charter school application. The Palm Beach County School claimed in its suit that the law was unconstitutional because it infringed on local boards' power to approve or deny charter schools. The Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that the Florida Constitution creates a hierarchy that gives boards local control, but gives the state board supervisory authority. The court also ordered the state's appeal commission to re-examine the case and send its justification for denial to the state Board of Education for another review. News Service of Florida. Palm Beach Post.
The Trump effect: The Brevard County School District is trying to prepare for the effect President-elect Donald Trump may have on local schools, but say it's hard to know exactly what it will be. “I’m just very unsure, very, very unsure what the presidential election means to the educational lives of next year’s kindergartners,” says Superintendent Desmond Blackburn. Some of Trump's stated goals are similar to what the district already does or is moving toward, but few details of how Trump's plan will be enacted have been released. Florida Today. Teachers unions in Florida and around the country are demonstrating in protests today against the Trump education agenda and the nominated education secretary, Betsy DeVos. Politico Florida.
Metric measurements: Florida high schools will become the first in the United States to use metric measurements for throwing and jumping events in track meets. Metrics have been used for all state high school running events since 1990. The change begins next month, and will be mandatory in 2018, according to the Florida High School Athletic Association. New York Times. (more…)
Budget priorities: Preliminary education budget numbers from the Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee include a big bump for student uniforms and a big cut in teacher bonuses. The optional districtwide K-8 student uniforms program is budgeted for $14 million, up from $3.75 million a year ago. The Best and Brightest teacher bonuses program, which received $48 million last year, is tentatively budgeted for $13.95 million. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, has told committee members that millions of dollars need to be cut from the budget for schools, and that no program should be considered off-limits. Gradebook.
A teacher's Oscar: Lukas Hefty, the magnet program coordinator at Douglas L. Jamerson Elementary in St. Petersburg, is one of 35 U.S. educators to win a 2016-17 Milken Educator Award, which is often called the "Oscars of Teaching." Hefty is the only educator from Florida selected. He wins $25,000 and will attend a Milken educator forum in New Orleans in March. Tampa Bay Times. WUSF.
False addresses: An investigation reveals that 97 addresses given by Calusa Elementary School parents and guardians are questionable and need to be checked further. About 370 students are scheduled to be rezoned out of Calusa's boundaries to ease overcrowding, and many parents have long suspected that some students are there because they use false addresses. The Palm Beach County School District has not said what its next step will be. Sun-Sentinel.
District rezoning: Almost 1,000 students in Seminole County will change schools in August to relieve overcrowding at six elementary schools: Highlands, Keeth, Lake Mary, Layer, Winter Springs and Woodlands. Public hearings on the boundary changes are Tuesday and Jan. 24. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
Teacher bonuses: Broward County's decision to offer bonuses for highly rated teachers to work in at-risk schools is paying off, school officials say. At 28 low-income county schools, only 2 percent of teaching positions were vacant at the start of the school year. Before the bonuses program started four years ago, 30 percent of the jobs in those at-risk schools were unfilled. And about half of those 28 schools have improved their grade from the state. Sun-Sentinel.
School construction: Problems were reported in the air-conditioning systems at all 82 schools in the Brevard County School District in August, school officials say. Even as temperatures are dropping, there are still hundreds of issues reported each month. The problems are being reported at newer schools as well as the older ones. Florida Today. The Polk County School District has almost $448 million of unfunded new construction projects over the next 10 years, and $74 million in unfunded repair and renovation projects. School officials are hoping voters approve an extension of the half-cent sales tax in 2018. The tax brings in about $40 million a year. Lakeland Ledger. A new high school in Bonita Springs is just one of several projects the Lee County School District has in the works. Fort Myers News-Press.
Testing survey says: Almost 90 percent of students who took the online Florida Standards Assessments tests this year say they had no technical problems. But they still aren't happy with testing, according to a Florida Education Department survey. Students complain they are tested too much, and many prefer the paper and pencil tests to the computer versions. They also suggested breaks during the testing, refreshments, more comfortable chairs and warmer testing rooms. Orlando Sentinel.
Software deal: The Brevard County School District is considering terminating an $8 million software contract with Harris School Solutions. The software was purchased three years ago to manage the district's finances, contracts, human resource information, payroll and more. School officials say the software is not fully usable. Florida Today. (more…)
Hiring freeze: The Hillsborough County School District is freezing teacher hiring as part of its austerity measures. The current 140 vacancies will be filled by educators who have been working outside of a classroom. The district is trying to save $130 million this year, in a budget of $2.8 billion. The Gibson Consulting Group is being paid $818,000 to help the district find ways to cut spending. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
Contract agreements: The Palm Beach County teachers union and district officials agree on a contract that calls for an average raise of 3 percent for teachers. The starting teacher salary is bumped to $41,000, and the top of the pay scale goes up by about $1,700 to $78,645. Palm Beach Post. Manatee County school officials announce tentative contract agreements with the teachers' and service employees' unions. The agreements call for raises and no increases in health insurance costs for employees. Bradenton Herald.
Improvement ratings: The Florida Department of Education releases its school improvement ratings for alternative and special education centers. Gradebook.
Audit committee: If voters approve a sales tax increase for Manatee County schools, the district will give an audit committee an important role in tracking how the projected $30 million a year is spent. The audit committee will be made up of mostly retired certified public accountants who are volunteers. The school board says it will also consider sharing some of the proceeds with charter schools. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
Anthem warning: The principal of Lely High School in Naples is threatening to eject students at all school-sponsored sporting events if they don't stand for the national anthem. In a video announcement last week, Ryan Nemeth said: "You will stand, and you will stay quiet. If you don't, you are going to be sent home, and you're not going to have a refund of your ticket price." Thursday, Collier County school officials said Nemeth's remarks were taken out of a context, and that he regrets what he said. WBBH. WINK. Naples Daily News. In Orange County, school officials say students need a parent's permission to kneel during the anthem. WDBO.
Director retiring: A day after a state audit is critical of the Leon County School District construction projects, the chief of construction announces he is retiring. Jim Connell's last day is Sept. 30. Tallahassee Democrat.
School spending: The Duval County School Board delays a vote on the budget until Monday. Discrepancies on salaries and the revenue to cover them cause the postponement. Florida Times-Union.
Makeup days: Pinellas County students won't have to make up the days lost to Hurricane Hermine. District officials have decided there's enough time built into the schedule for schools to absorb the loss of two days. Gradebook. (more…)
Scholarship appeal: The Florida Supreme Court is being asked to step into the fight over the state's tax credit scholarship program. Several groups that think the program is unconstitutional are appealing an appeals court ruling that the groups do not have the legal standing to challenge the program. The state Supreme Court is not obligated to take on the case. The Florida Education Association, NAACP and other groups believe the program resembles a voucher program that the court declared unconstitutional in 2006. The scholarships are funded by tax credits that corporations can make in lieu of tax payments. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the scholarships. Gradebook. redefinED. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Sunshine State News. Associated Press.
Ethics issues: Miami-Dade School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho may have broken state law by accepting gifts worth more than $100 and not reporting them, the Florida Commission on Ethics rules. The commission decided not to pursue the case after Carvalho accepted responsibility and later filed the proper forms. Miami Herald. The ethics commission also found probable cause that State Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, misused his position by implying he would help the Okeechobee County School District only if it retaliated against a district employee. The employee was suspended. Florida Politics. Politico Florida. TCPalm. The ethics case against Flagler County School Board chairwoman Colleen Conklin has been closed, according to the ethics commission. Her 2014 financial disclosure form was filed a year late. Conklin says it was misplaced, and paid a $1,500 fine. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
School spending: The St. Johns County School Board approves a $641.2 million budget that school officials call very tight. St. Augustine Record. The Hernando County School Board approves a $173 million budget that, for the first time since 2008, does not include cutbacks of employees or programs. Tampa Bay Times. The Citrus County School Board approves a $215.4 million budget. Citrus County Chronicle.
Teacher shortage: The national teacher shortage is affecting the United States and Florida and will continue to do so unless steps are taken to address attrition, according to a report from the Learning Policy Institute. Florida data show that almost 50 percent of teachers hired in the past 10 years have left the profession. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
Zika rules: Broward County school officials are considering changing district policy to fight the spread of the Zika virus. Under the emergency rules, students would be permitted to bring certain insect repellent wipes and lotions to school. The school board will vote on the measure Sept. 7. Sun-Sentinel.
Retention venue: The state and six school districts being sued over the state's third-grade retention policies have until 3 p.m. today to file arguments to the First District Court of Appeal for a change of venue. The defendants want the case to be decided locally, not in Leon County. Leon Judge Karen Gievers has presided over two hearings, and is expected to rule soon. The parents who brought the suit are arguing that whether a student passes or takes the state test should not be the primary criteria for promotion to the fourth grade. Gradebook.
Corporal punishment: More than 109,000 U.S. students were physically punished at school in 2013-14, according to an Education Week Research Center analysis of federal civil rights data. Twenty-one states, including Florida, still allow corporal punishment. About 2 percent of Florida's students attend a school that uses physical punishment. Education Week. WTSP and the Associated Press.
Pledge form: Florida Department of Education officials say the Leon County School District went "above and beyond" the legal requirements to notify students that they can opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Tallahassee Democrat.
Closed captioning: The Florida Department of Education will begin offering closed captioning on the Florida Standards Assessments language arts tests for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. starting with the make-up exams in October. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
Extra recess time: The Miami-Dade County School District adds 15 minutes a week to recess time for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school students. That gives those students an hour of free play time each week. Miami Herald.
Construction planning: Palm Beach County school officials are optimistic that a 1-cent increase in the sale tax will be approved by voters in November, but they're making plans for construction projects with or without the money the tax will generate. If the tax hike passes, the district will build four new schools and rebuild seven others, and replace roofs and air-conditioning systems. If the tax doesn't pass, a scaled-back plan will focus on repairs instead of replacements. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post.
Collaborative time killed: Teachers in Palm Beach County will not be required to attend weekly 90-minute collaborative planning sessions with other teachers, School Superintendent Robert Avossa has decided. Teachers union officials had complained about the time spent on forced collaboration. Palm Beach Post.
Alternative discipline: Highlands County students who commit minor disciplinary infractions will be assigned after-school service work instead of being given in-school suspensions. Among the jobs will be completing assigned work projects and/or helping with school beautification. Highlands Today.
Retention issues: A judge says she may rule this week in a lawsuit brought against the state's third-grade retention policy. Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers did not grant the request to immediately promote third-graders who did poorly on the state reading test or opted out of taking it, saying she wanted to give the state and the six districts named in the suit time to respond. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Many school districts in the state offer alternative ways for third-graders to advance even if they do poorly on the state test or opt out of taking it. Gradebook.
Maintenance issues: Palm Beach County school officials say 40 of its 196 schools are in unsatisfactory or poor condition, and seven need to be torn down and rebuilt. Mold, leaks, broken equipment and more are reported. The district and the county are asking voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax in November. Half the proceeds would go for school construction. Sun-Sentinel.
School construction: Almost two years after Broward County voters approved an $800 million school renovation program, no work has been done. School Superintendent Robert Runcie says the district has had a "little bit of a rough start getting out of the box." There have been errors in assessing needs, confusion about advertising for bids, problems in the purchasing department and troubles following Florida's Sunshine Law that caused the district to repeat work. Some costs are running 57 percent above original estimates. Despite the problems, Runcie says the work will be completed by 2022, as originally estimated. Sun-Sentinel.
Back to school: More Florida school districts open their doors to students today. Florida Times-Union. Palm Beach Post. Tallahassee Democrat. Lakeland Ledger. TCPalm. TCPalm. Gainesville Sun. WFLA. Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is criticized by school board members for a late and potentially confusing letter going out to parents. The letters inform parents of their "assigned" schools, which could be different from the schools parents have chosen. Board members say the letters are confusing, and were also unhappy that about 265 letters just went out Thursday. School starts today. Florida Times-Union. The Orange County School District opens the Wedgefield K-8 School today. It has room for about 1,200 students. Orlando Sentinel. Volusia County officials start the school year today with a goal of reducing chronic absenteeism by 10 percent. Daytona Beach News-Journal. (more…)
