More on teacher evaluations. Problems with teacher evaluation data this week are the latest in a string of mistakes involving the DOE, writes Gradebook. Lower-profile reports are dogged with inconsistencies, too, though it’s not always the state’s fault, notes StateImpact Florida. Ultimately, the revised numbers released Thursday aren’t much different from the numbers originally released Wednesday morning – or from the out-of-whack numbers under the old system. If nearly 97 percent of teachers are rated effective or highly effective, has Florida made accountability too easy? asks EdFly Blog. More from Tampa Bay Times, Lakeland Ledger, Florida Times Union, Fort Myers News Press, Naples Daily News, Hechinger Report.

Too much reform on the runway? School Zone. (Image from pictureboston.com)

Achievement gaps in vocabulary. Gradebook. School Zone.

Tony Bennett’s views on Florida’s reforms. StateImpact Florida. Testing Is Not Teaching isn’t a fan of the former Indiana state superintendent, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Charter conversion. Parents of an A-rated school in Miami-Dade are pressing to convert it into a charter so they can more quickly remedy a problem with aging buildings, reports the Miami Herald.

Rally photo from Families That Can.

California: 1,000 charter school parents and administrators rally to protest a proposed moratorium on charter schools (Los Angeles Times). The school board subsequently votes down a measure aimed at more oversight (Los Angeles Times). The school board at the center of the parent trigger fight could see turnover (Education Week).

Florida: Charter school supporters make a pitch for equitable funding and independent authorizers (redefinED). Charter school enrollment now tops 10 percent of total public school enrollment in eight Florida districts, a new report shows (redefineED). In the wake of Tony Bennett's defeat in Indiana, Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education pushes back against Common Core critics (redefinED).

Tennessee: Gov. Bill Haslam's task force finalizes its recommendations for a statewide voucher program, agreeing it should be limited to poorer students (timesfreepress.com). More from The Tennessean and the Memphis  Commercial Appeal.

Washington: The Seattle Times says the charter school ballot initiative has passed, even though opponents have yet to concede. Spokane Public Schools officials say they want to open a charter school (Huffington Post).

Illinois: Public school officials in Chicago plan to shut down poor-performing charters (Chicago Tribune).

Georgia: One of the state's bigger school districts considers creation of a full-time virtual school (Gainesville Times).

Colorado: Douglas County's voucher program heads back to court today, with both sides battling over a lower court ruling that it's unconstitutional (Denver Post).

Shock and buzz. Tony Bennett’s loss was last night’s big jawdropper in the ed realm. But shock is already giving way to welling speculation that Indiana’s loss will be Florida’s gain.

Education Week wrote that Bennett, the Hoosier State’s superintendent of public instruction, “could be a natural fit” for the opening in Florida. Education researcher Rick Hess said Bennett will land on his feet “given that folks are likely to be clamoring for his services (including the state of Florida, which is desperately seeking a new chief).” The Gradebook, the ed blog for the Tampa Bay Times, put this headline on its first post of the day, “Might Indiana superintendent stunner yield Florida commissioner candidate?”

Speculation that Bennett may be headed to the Sunshine State began well before last night’s loss. And it’s easy to see why. Bennett championed Florida-style reforms in Indiana, including implementation of a statewide voucher program. He’s part of the Chiefs for Change group formed by Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. And he makes a lot of sense when he talks persuasively about new definitions of public education that aren’t either/or. “We have allowed our opponents to draw a caricature of us that says we’re against public schools,” Bennett said last spring at the American Federation for Children conference. “I’m not an adversary of public schools. I’m an advocate for public school children.”

Applications for the Florida commissioner post are due by Nov. 30. We called and emailed the Indiana Department of Education to see if we could find out about Bennett’s plans. If we hear back, we’ll let you know.

In the meantime, there’s also plenty of commentary today about why Bennett lost to Glenda Ritz, an elementary school media specialist. (more…)