Charter schools: A new Broward County charter school with 60 students closes after school leaders fail to pay rent. Sun Sentinel. Rapper Pitbull is the latest in a long list of celebrities lending their star power to open a charter school, this one in Miami. NPR. In a divided vote, the Sarasota County School Board approves a new charter, granting permission for the district's largest charter school to expand. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Choice: Pasco schools look to expand educational options for students and parents with more blended-learning classrooms and diploma programs. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual Ed: Florida Virtual School's 2-year-old trademark infringement lawsuit against K-12, Inc. heads to the state Supreme Court. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay: “Florida teachers deserve a salary increase, and they should have the benefit of knowing their new salary level as soon as possible so they can best plan their future,” Gov. Rick Scott tells school districts in a letter. Palm Beach Post.

Common Core: A public meeting in Tampa to debate the new standards draws about 200 people, including well-known opponent Sandra Stotsky, a former Massachusetts education official now affiliated with the University of Arkansas. Orlando Sentinel.  More from StateImpact Florida, The Ledger, The Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times. The state Board of Education opts not to adopt the reading samples associated with the new national benchmarks as well as the student writing samples and suggestions on how to structure math classes. Miami Herald. Board members struggle with what to call the standards. StateImpact Florida. The state Department of Education communication plans for standards avoids referring to them as Common Core. The Florida Current. Common Core 101, from StateImpact Florida. The standards do not constitute a curriculum, but they lay out general education principles and skills students should master at different grade levels. The Hechinger Report.

Safety net: Florida is going to keep in place a controversial safety net provision for the state's school grading system. The Ledger. More from the News Service of Florida.

School spending: The Broward school district’s attempt to outsource much of its facilities department — a move designed to restore credibility — has instead raised new questions. Miami Herald. The Manatee County School District changes the way it pays for substitute teachers. Bradenton Herald. The Manatee school district pays $8,000 to a former district employee to coach the new director of communications,  who earns $90,000. Bradenton Herald.

Outsourcing: Miami-Dade County school bus drivers protest the board's vote to study a plan to outsource the district's $69 million transportation system. Miami Herald. (more…)

Florida Virtual: Virtual school enrollment has shifted from the state's online provider to district franchises following a legislative funding change. Tallahassee Democrat. FLVS sues K12 Inc. for infringing on the Florida Virtual trademark and causing market confusion. Education Week.

Career Ed: JetBlue agrees to partner with three Polk County high schools, mentoring students interested in aviation and allowing them access to the national airlines' training facilities in Orlando. The Ledger.

STEM: Local civic and business groups are working on outfitting Sarasota schools with technology to help promote STEM education. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Digital learning: A $20,000 grant from the Comcast Foundation will kick-start a new digital learning initiative for young people in Sarasota County. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 

Common Core: The Foundation for Florida’s Future and Foundation for Excellence in Education, influential supporters of the new standards, likely won't be participating in the upcoming public meetings debating the new measures. StateImpact Florida.

Mentoring: Brevard County parents and children learn tips to maintain a balanced childhood from the father of NBA star Vince Carter. Florida Today.

Bullying: Lee County students learn life lessons from a retired New York City police officer. Fort Myers News-Press.

Conduct: A third-grader brought a loaded gun to a Sarasota elementary school. Associated Press. A Manatee County high school cafeteria manager kept his job for more than a year after having sex with a student. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

School construction: Pasco school officials consider a plan to build more schools to ease crowding. Tampa Bay Times.

Band aid: The Fort Myers community steps up to provide instruments for a struggling high school band. Fort Myers News-Press.

Reeling from big drops in student enrollment, officials with the nation’s largest provider of online learning noted their woes Wednesday before the Florida lawmakers who inadvertently set the decline in motion.

Holly Sagues, chief policy officer for the state-funded Florida Virtual School, told the Senate Appropriations Subcomittee on Education that the highly regarded program, growing steadily until a few months ago, experienced a 32 percent drop in pre-enrollments in July, compared to the previous summer.

In August, course requests continued to fall, dropping 10 percent to 15 percent compared to the same time period a year ago. The decline is tied to a new legislative funding formula, approved in the spring, that cut state dollars to both school districts and Florida Virtual School. FLVS anticipates a $40 million loss.

“We are still estimating where we are going to wind up,’’ Sagues said.

Lawmakers offered little comment. They expect to get more specific enrollment numbers for Florida Virtual School and other online providers in January.

Under the old funding formula, districts received their full per-student allocation even when that student was taking one course through Florida Virtual, which also received funding for the student. Now, the district receives six-sevenths of the allotment and FLVS gets one-seventh. The pie gets even smaller when students take more online courses.

Lawmakers, including Sen. Bill Galvano, who chairs the subcommittee, have defended the new formula, calling it more prudent and equitable. But they also have asked the Department of Education to look into whether the change has caused some unintended consequences.

Sagues contends it has. She listed examples from even before the new formula went into effect July 1. That’s when some students were told they couldn’t sign up for FLVS classes, and others were told they would have to pay for the courses. “There was kind of a stop of students enrolling across the state because no one really knew how it was going to work,’’ she said.

The hit came in the spring, at the peak of FLVS’ pre-enrollment season for fall.

“We have had to cut back quite a bit for course development and offerings so that we could meet our budget,’’ Sagues added. The program also cut 177 full-time teachers and support staff in August. Since then, the program's predicament has attracted national attention, with experts pointing to a new trend in online education that has states moving away from funding a single virtual school to allowing students to choose from multiple providers.

It’s not yet known whether overall student enrollment in online options is down, or whether students previously in Florida Virtual School have migrated to other providers. DOE officials are looking at online enrollments for Florida Virtual and the districts, some of which have contracted with FLVS to operate franchise programs.

Lawmakers expect to review a report in January that tracks the numbers.

“I want to revisit this and make sure we are identifying the trends properly,’’ Galvano said during the meeting.

Charter schools: The Pasco County school board will consider charter applications, including one aimed for low-income elementary students at risk for dropping out. Tampa Bay Times.

Private schools: A Tampa Islamic school simulates the hajj to teach children about the rite. Tampa Bay Times. The McKay Scholarship helps more than 27,000 children with disabilities attend private school. Tallahassee Democrat.

Virtual schools: Florida Virtual School leaders tell lawmakers that a shift in funding has hurt enrollment in the online learning program, especially in rural districts. Florida Current. 

Teacher raises: Only 13 districts have negotiated pay increases with their unions, with the average raise ranging from $1,500 to $2,900. The Buzz. More from the Palm Beach Post and Naples Daily News.

School security: The Broward County school district agrees to spend $555,000 for 12 officers to patrol elementary schools in six cities. Sun Sentinel. Instead of hiring armed security officers all at once for 144 elementary schools, Hillsborough's latest plan would phase them in over four years. Tampa Bay Times.

Safety net: The State Board of Education will vote again on a "safety net" for school grades that would extend the controversial measure through 2014. Orlando Sentinel.

Outsourcing: The Miami-Dade school district may look to privatize its vast fleet of school buses and transportation employees. Miami Herald. The Polk County School District is looking into outsourcing the management of its substitute teachers. The Ledger.

Board view: Clay County school board members say their superintendent didn't tell them he was authorizing $2,037 to  reserve a meeting room and amenities for an “American exceptionalism” conference. Florida Times-Union. (more…)

Alabama: The Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights icon now living in Alabama, says school choice is an extension of the civil rights movement (AI.com).

Colorado: The Douglas County School District offers private school vouchers for students but some residents, policymakers and journalists can't see anything but conspiracy theories (Our Lone Tree News). Fifteen new charter schools open statewide for the 2013-14 school year (The Gazette).

Connecticut: State Superintendent of Schools William McKersie wants public school choice and more digital learning for students (Greenwich Post).

Florida: Education leaders urge the governor to overhaul the school grading system again (which also applies to charter schools) (Tampa Bay Times). Florida Virtual School is facing hard times as program revenue drops 20 percent (Education Week). Charter schools are under scrutiny from the Department of Education after a ban on charging additional fees and requiring volunteer hours from parents (Tampa Bay Times).

Louisiana: The U.S. Department of Justice files suit to block the state's new school choice program, arguing it violates court ordered desegregation (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Advocate). The Black Alliance for Educational Options and Gov. Bobby Jindal both say the scholarship program provides a vehicle for low-income students to escape failing schools and that the Justice Department should drop the lawsuit (Education Week, Huffington Post, Weekly Standard). The Washington Post editorial board calls the DOJ lawsuit "appalling" (Washington Post). "Course choice" is underway in Louisiana (Education Week).

(more…)

Frank Brogan: The outgoing Florida university system chancellor talks about Common Core, state grades and Tony Bennett. TCPalm.

Common Core: Polk County's new teachers get a primer on the new education standards during their district orientation. The Ledger.

Florida Virtual School: About 6,000 Polk County students took classes last school year through Florida Virtual School. Recent drops in enrollment statewide have resulted in teacher and staff layoffs. The Ledger. More from the Associated Press.

Early dismissal: Polk County's early dismissal days will be 1½ hours shorter this school year than last. The Ledger.

Safety: St. Johns County schools wants to limit each school to one entrance. St. Augustine Record.

First day: Summer is over for 86,000 Lee County students who are back in school. News-Press. More from Naples Daily News.

School supplies: Lipman and Pacific Tomato Growers hand out 1,400 back packs to needy Immokalee families. Naples Daily News.

More Bennett: Two more Tony Bennett hires, Anna Shultz and Katie Stephens, leave their Florida Department of Education posts. Tampa Bay Times. American Federation of Teachers and its Indiana affiliate request public records from the Indiana Department of Education, seeking all communications between Tony Bennett, Foundation for Excellence in Education, ALEC and others since 2009. School Zone. (more…)

Report cards: Palm Beach County second-graders won't see traditional A-F grades on report cards this year as the district moves toward a standard-based system. Sun Sentinel.

Charter schools: There are already 40 charter schools in Palm Beach County, serving 12,000 students, with another 11 set to open this fall. Palm Beach Post.

More magnets: Palm Beach County school board members want more arts high school and middle school magnet programs. Palm Beach Post.

Tony Bennett: Indiana school officials continue to investigate school grading manipulation that could result in changes to that state's system created by Tony Bennett. Associated Press.

Back to school: One of Central Florida's largest back-to-school events, which has drawn 30,000 people, will be held this year at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando Sentinel. 

FCAT: "Don't, don't, don't focus on the FCAT," Pasco County schools Superintendent Kurt Browning tells the staff at Lacoochee Elementary, a D school tapped by the state for a turnaround. "I don't care about FCAT. I don't." Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher conduct: A special-education specialist fired for her role in a high-profile scandal is reinstated by the Miami-Dade School Board. Miami Herald. Another Manatee County school administrator is placed on paid leave during an ongoing investigation into a former football coach accused of groping students. The Tampa Tribune. More from the Bradenton Herald.

Library cuts: The Miami-Dade School Board may open some of the district’s libraries after hours to offset the closure of some 14 facilities. Miami Herald. (more…)

Hits to Florida Virtual School continue this week with the nation's largest provider of online classes cutting 177 full-time positions.

The cuts to instructional and support staff came Monday, and follow last month's elimination of 625 part-time teaching positions. The move was necessary, program officials said, after an internal review showed pre-enrollment had dropped 32 percent compared to last summer.

"For the first time in 16 years, we have had to make the painful decision to reduce staff,'' Florida Virtual School spokeswoman Tania Clow said late Tuesday in a prepared statement.

Florida Virtual School has 1,725 staff positions remaining. The program served more than 149,000 students in 2011-12.

So why is this happening? Florida Virtual School officials point to a new state funding formula that went into effect last month. Before the change, when students took six courses in their district school and one through Florida Virtual School, the district received its full per-student allotment for that student. Florida Virtual School got another one-sixth of the funding.

Now, the district receives six-sevenths of its allotment and Florida Virtual School receives one-seventh. The more courses a student takes online, the less money the district and Florida Virtual School receive. That has resulted in some school districts preventing students from signing up for Florida Virtual School.

The state Department of Education intervened in April, telling about 10 school districts to stop blocking student access to Florida Virtual School. Last month, it issued another warning to every superintendent in the state.

State Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, chair of the Senate Education Appropriations Committee, told redefinED last week that he stands behind the funding changes, calling them more equitable. But he also said lawmakers likely will revisit the issue during the next legislative session to address enrollment concerns.

Meanwhile,  Florida Virtual School officials say they'll continue serving students at the highest level.

"The entire FLVS family is saddened by the new realities we are facing,'' Clow said. "As always the FLVS team will continue to keep our students at the center ... helping them be successful in their learning.''

Common Core: Protesters gather at a Broward County School Board meeting to show they don't support the new Common Core education standards. Miami Herald. State Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, organizes a panel to talk about education reform and Common Core. Florida Times-Union. Step Up For Students' vice president of student learning talks about why private schools are signing on for the measures. Education Week.

Bennett and school grades: Former Florida Sen. Paula Dockery shares her thoughts about Tony Bennett and school grades, asking "Isn't it time for an honest conversation on doing away with a school-grading system that is costly, divisive and unreliable?'' The Ledger.

Conduct: A Rodgers Middle School assistant principal fights for his job after the Hillsborough County school district fired him following the death of a special-needs student at his school. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.

Debit cards: Leon County joins other school districts that won't be offering teacher debit cards issued by Gov. Scott. Tallahassee Democrat.

Extended day: Broward County joins the list of districts where low-performing schools will offer students an additional hour of class time. Sun Sentinel. Palm Beach County will spend $7 million to add an hour to the school day at four low-performing schools. Palm Beach Post.

School funding: The half-cent sales tax is the only funding source the district has for capital projects, writes Shannon Nickinson for the Pensacola News Journal.

Charter schools: Pasco County gets its first virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy of Pasco. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Florida lawmakers are starting to key in on a recent funding change that has put a big dent in enrollment at Florida Virtual School, with one promising the issue will be revisited in coming months and another saying action against school districts may be warranted.

When legislative committees meet in Tallahassee in September, “I can guarantee you this is going to be discussed,” said Rep. Carl Zimmermann, a Pinellas Democrat who sits on the House Education Committee.

At issue is a change to the state’s education funding formula that lawmakers approved last spring. Under the old method, districts received their full per-student allocation even when that full-time student was taking one course with Florida Virtual School, which also received funding for that student. Now under that same scenario, the district receives six-sevenths of the allotment and FLVS receives one-seventh. The more courses a student takes online, the less money the district and FLVS receive.

Even before the recalculated formula went into effect last month, Florida Virtual School, the state’s leading provider of online classes and among the nation’s largest, reported dramatic declines in enrollment. They expect a $34 million loss. More troublesome, they say, is students are being turned away from a popular school choice option.

They say they’re still getting calls from students and parents, complaining that schools are making them take online classes through the district – or not letting them sign up at all. The situation prompted the Florida Department of Education to warn at least 10 districts to stop the practice, which may violate state law. And last month, after more reports surfaced, DOE’s chancellor of public schools sent another warning – this time in a memo to superintendents statewide. (more…)