Promise of online learning. Pinellas math and statistics teacher Rob Tarrou puts his lessons online, a la Khan Academy, and wins fans around the world, reports the Tampa Bay Times. My favorite graph: “A reporter recently asked students in that statistics class how many had other teachers post educational videos online. No one raised a hand. Next, students were asked how many wished their other teachers would post videos online. Nearly all raised their hands.” See a “Tarrou’s Chalk Talk” video here.

Valerie Strauss on Tony Bennett coming to Florida: Column here.

Rick Scott’s ed plan falls short. Especially on charter schools, editorializes the Tampa Bay Times.

Republican hubris and Amendment 8: In its roundup of election winners and losers, the Tampa Bay Times suggests Amendment 8 had a lot to do with vouchers – and that it fits into the narrative about GOP overreach.

Contracting complaints. At the Division of Blind Services, which falls under the Florida Department of Education, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

As maybe the only pro-voucher school board member in Florida, and one of the few in the country, it could get awfully intense for 29-year-old Glen Gilzean. But when asked by redefinED if he liked the extra-big spotlight, Gilzean laughed.

Being a voucher guy on a local school board, he says in this redefinED podcast, is like being the first person in a flash mob.

"It's like a flash mob. It takes one person. Everybody look at him like, 'Oh this guy is crazy.' What is he doing? Then you know three more people come in and it's like, 'Oh, he's not really that crazy.' Let's just continue the thing going. And then all of a sudden, the whole group, everyone's like doing the dance. And to be frank with you, I see Florida, on the legislative stand point, they're making that bold step. I see our commissioner of education making that bold step. I see our governor making that bold step. Now it takes people on the local level to start, you know, making some of those bold steps to ensure that children are getting what they need."

Glen Gilzean

We also ask Gilzean about the evolution of his thinking concerning vouchers and tax-credit scholarships, and what he thinks about vouchers for all parents, regardless of income. Note: The podcast comes in at 26 minutes, and there are five seconds of silence at the beginning. Truth be told, your humble podcaster needs a crash course in basic 21st century technology. Hopefully, future podcasts will be shorter, sweeter - and edited for the sake of time and clarity.