Appointments retracted: Gov. Ron DeSantis has rescinded the appointments of Andrew Pollack and Thomas Grady to the Florida Board of Education. Pollack, whose daughter Meadow and 16 others died in last February's shooting attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, and Grady had been appointed by former Gov. Rick Scott in the final days of his term. Pollack says he thinks DeSantis will reappoint him. DeSantis also canceled 44 other late Scott appointments. WLRN. Sun Sentinel. Gradebook. Fort Myers News-Press.
Audit requested: An audit of the Manatee County School District's home-school records shows improved accounting of students who withdrew from traditional schools, but no follow-up to see if those students were actually being home-schooled. Another audit to answer that question is being planned. The state Department of Education has accused interim Superintendent Cynthia Saunders of inflating graduation rates by having district employees code students who were dropping out to pursue a GED degree as "withdrawn to home education." Saunders could be sanctioned by the DOE. Bradenton Herald. Manatee County School Board members say they were not informed by Saunders or by former superintendent Diana Greene that Saunders was under investigation by the state. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)
Education lawsuit dismissed: A nearly 10-year-old lawsuit alleging that the state has failed to live up to its constitutional duty to fund a "high quality" K-12 public education system has been dismissed by the Florida Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision. The court majority upheld a lower court ruling that the phrase "high quality education" is not defined in the constitution, and what it does mean is a political question, not a judicial one. The court “lacks the institutional competence — or the constitutional authority — to make the monumental funding and policy decisions that the petitioners (the plaintiffs) and the dissenters seek to shift to the judicial branch. And there is not a hint of any manageable judicial standards to apply in making those decisions," wrote Chief Justice Charles Canady. The group Citizens for Strong Schools filed the suit in 2009 and lost at the circuit court and appeals court levels. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix. Politico Florida.
Choices for Florida BOE: Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow died in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, is one of two people appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Board of Education. The other is Thomas Grady, a Naples lawyer and former state representative. Both will serve until Dec. 31, 2022. They were among 76 appointments Scott made last week on his way out of office. Sun Sentinel. Associated Press. Gradebook. Politico Florida.
Safety in schools: Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis' public safety advisory team backs the conclusions of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission report, wants law enforcement to have more authority in schools and suggests stiff penalties for schools that miss deadlines or ignore state rules on security. “We need to be unleashed into the schools,” says Jeff Bell, president of the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association, and “show consequences to the kids so that when they grow up and turn 18, we aren’t actually creating a pipeline to the prison system.” Politico Florida. Florida Politics. The state safety commission report is in and recommendations for improving security for schools have been made. How does the Broward County School District stack up on meeting those recommendations? Sun Sentinel. Orlando area school districts will make changes based on the panel's report. WKMG. Another Broward deputy is suspended for his actions during the school shooting. Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald.
Corcoran and accountability: In 2012, then-State Rep. Richard Corcoran supported a plan to require standardized testing for students at private schools that accept tax credit scholarships. Now that he's education commissioner, though, he's not commenting on that possibility. Gradebook. (more…)
Schools' graduation rate up: Florida's high school graduation rate hit a record high last spring at 86.1 percent, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Department of Education. That's 3.8 percentage points higher than the 2017 rate. Also impressive is the improvement made by minority students. Black students graduated at a rate of 81 percent, up from 64.7 percent in 2014, and the rate was 85.1 percent for Hispanic students, up from 75 percent four years ago. “Today’s announcement is particularly important because it not only shows across-the-board progress, it highlights success in closing the achievement gap and leveling the playing field for all students,” said outgoing Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. Florida Department of Education. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Gainesville Sun. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Enrollment down: Florida has 17,000 fewer K-12 school students this year than projected, according to a report from the Legislature’s Office of Demographic and Economic Research. The state budget had funding for 2.848 million K-12 students. The revised forecast is 2.831 million, 7,955 more than last year but 17,142 fewer than expected in the 67 school districts. “Most of the revision is due to less than expected net in-migration to the public school system, combined with fewer than expected hurricane-affected students remaining in 2018-19 from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” according to the report. News Service of Florida.
Corcoran appointed: Richard Corcoran, former speaker of the Florida House, is unanimously approved by the Florida Board of Education to replace Pam Stewart as education commissioner. Corcoran, who was recommended by Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, is a combative supporter of school choice, scholarship programs and charter schools and was widely opposed by teachers unions and public school advocates. "We won't be concerned with tradition, or who has the power, or who has the might," Corcoran said. "What we're going to do is break down those walls and give kids an opportunity." Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Tallahassee Democrat. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Florida Phoenix. Politico Florida. Orlando Weekly. WWSB. Florida Politics. Capitolist. WUSF. WFSU. WFTV.
Report cards and abuse: Child abuse reports spike on Saturdays after report cards are issued by schools on Fridays, according to a report published by University of Florida researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association. There were almost four times more abuse cases reported on Saturdays a day after report cards are issued than on other Saturdays. “Anecdotally, we know a lot of parents will spank their children or use corporal punishment if they’re unsatisfied with their school work,” says University of Florida psychologist Melissa Bright. The report, which acknowledges its conclusions are speculative, drew its data from Florida’s 67 counties during the 2015-2016 academic year. New York Times. Associated Press. Fatherly. University of Florida. (more…)
DOE departures: Commissioner Pam Stewart isn't the only top Department of Education official who is leaving soon. Linda Champion, the department's deputy commissioner of finance, and K-12 chancellor Hershel Lyons have also announced their impending retirements. Today, the Florida Board of Education will consider Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis' proposed appointment of Richard Corcoran as Stewart's replacement. Gradebook.
Borrowing for education: Leaders in the Florida Senate say they will consider borrowing money through bonding to pay for school infrastructure needs. Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, says the state has a lot of capacity to borrow, up to $2.6 billion through the Public Education Capital Outlay program, and may need to do so because of infrastructure needs, a slowing economy and hurricane recovery costs. News Service of Florida. (more…)
Shooting panel draft report: The 407-page draft report of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission recommends arming willing teachers and other employees in schools, and immediately taking practical measures to restrict access to schools and standardizing procedures for identifying dangerous students. The report criticizes the Broward County School District for not following basic security measures like locking doors, says the principal should be investigated for not insisting he be told about all threats, and concludes that Broward County deputies should have rushed into the school to confront the shooter Feb. 14. Seventeen people were shot to death and 17 others were wounded. The report, which is not final, will be delivered to the governor and Legislature by Jan. 1. Sun Sentinel. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Capitol News Service. WLRN. Fort Myers News-Press. The commission releases transcripts of law enforcement officers detailing the chaos at the scene. Miami Herald. A judge rejects former Stoneman Douglas deputy Scot Peterson's argument that he had "no legal duty" to protect the students and staff. Peterson was asking that a lawsuit filed by the family of a victim be dismissed. Sun Sentinel. Associated Press. Now that Ron DeSantis is the governor-elect, will he follow up on a campaign statement to remove Broward Sheriff Scott Israel for his agency's failings during the shooting? Sun Sentinel. Who are school shooters, and why do they kill? Sun Sentinel. (more…)
Bright Futures: The number of students in Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship program is forecast to grow by 5.7 percent this year, by 3,223 to 99,483, with the projected costs rising from $545 million to $583 million, according to state economists. Students who qualify for the Bright Futures’ “academic scholars” program receive 100 percent of tuition and fees at state universities and colleges and $300 for books. Students must have a 3.5 grade point average and score at least a 1290 on the SAT or 29 on the ACT and complete 100 hours of community service to qualify for the program. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
Shooting panel report: The state's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is expected to issue a draft report this week that details its findings and recommendations. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the panel, says the initial recommendations are going to be practical, quick and cost-effective things to improve security in schools. "Physical site security will be a robust area for discussion because I believe there are immediate things that are absolutely essential to do that are low or no cost and don't require any substantial law or regulation that will greatly enhance the safety of the campuses," he says. Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. (more…)
Return to Stoneman Douglas: The first day of school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland was bittersweet for students who lived through the massacre Feb. 14, with student emotions mixed with hope for the future but weighted by the grief of the past. “That’s something I’ve been wrestling with,” said 14-year-old sophomore Alexa Goel, who saw her first body on that dark day and had to run for her life. “Not wanting to let it go, but also moving forward with my life.” Security was tight, but even that wasn't reassuring for some students. “There’s literally no place that I am every day that I feel 100 percent safe and the thought doesn’t go through my head that someone could come in with a gun,” said 15-year-old Samantha Deitsch. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. WLRN. Palm Beach Post. Associated Press.
School security problems: The Florida Legislature shortchanged the state's school districts by not providing enough money to pay for the security measures it mandated, says Damien Kelly, executive director of the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools. “All 67 sheriffs are on the same page. They don’t think the funding is where it needs to be,” says Kelly. Orlando Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale police officers filled in to guard schools in the city on opening day Wednesday, just a day after the Broward County School District informed the city it was short of armed guards for 13 schools. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis calls the district's last-minute plea for help "disappointing.” Sun-Sentinel. Despite the focus on school security, Broward County summer schools had no security presence. Miami Herald. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Sheriff Jerry Demings trade accusations about who's at fault for a shortage of deputies to cover county schools on opening day. Orlando Sentinel. Safe Schools director Damien Kelly says the new app FortifyFL will be available in two weeks. It will allow people to anonymously report suspicious activities in schools. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. (more…)
More disaster funding: The U.S. Education Department is giving Florida another $95.8 million in disaster assistance, even though the state has yet to spend any of the $84.5 million it received from the federal Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations program to help schools, colleges and universities recover from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The new funding is through the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program, which is intended to help districts that had extra enrollment of students displaced by hurricanes. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel.
School security: A security consultant advises the Broward County School Board against using metal detectors in schools, saying they are expensive, hard to operate efficiently, not reliable without accompanied by patdowns, and provide limited benefits and great risks. Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International, says he recommended to Superintendent Robert Runcie to back off installing them. Sun-Sentinel. Schools open today in Broward County, and half the schools in Fort Lauderdale still don't have armed guards. Sun-Sentinel. Only 24 school safety specialists were working on the first day of school in Duval County - less than half the number needed to cover each of the district's elementary schools. Another 27 are expected to be hired by Labor Day, and a third round of hiring won't put those assistants in schools until after Oct. 1. Florida Times-Union. WJXT.
Amendment 8 questioned: A retired chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court files a challenge with the court charging that six proposed constitutional amendments, including the education-related Amendment 8, are unconstitutionally bundled. Harry Lee Anstead and former Florida elections commissioner Robert Barnas say that bundling prevents voters from a simple yes or no vote. Amendment 8 would put term limits on school board members, require civics education and allow entities other than local school boards to approve charter school applications. Gradebook. Flagler Live. News Service of Florida.
