Hillsborough County has joined the growing list of Florida school districts where charter schools might help absorb enrollment growth.

The Tampa Bay Times reports this has created some awkward politics around a massive piece of education legislation many district officials loathe.

The same district leaders who complain about the Legislature and call for a veto also say they need charter schools to accommodate population growth, as funds are scarce to build new schools. This is especially true in the southernmost part of the county, where approved developments that were dormant during the recession are now springing to life.

Some also recognize that charter schools can give a second chance to students who fall through the cracks in the district system. Board member Susan Valdes, speaking at the May 16 board meeting, described two such students, one who lost a parent to military combat and the other who had been ill.

"If the governor signs the bill," Valdes said, addressing administrators in the auditorium, "hey, life lesson that we should learn about really, truly taking care of our children — not just taking their money."

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Single-gender. Separate floors for boys and girls are part of the turnaround plan for a struggling Duval County school. Florida Times-Union.

Tax credit scholarships. The statewide teachers union calls on Gov. Rick Scott to veto legislation expanding eligibility for the program while reiterating myths about a failed constitutional amendment and referring to proposed personal scholarship accounts for disabled children as a "new entitlement." Sentinel School Zone.

Charter schools. The Pinellas superintendent outlines a plan to take over a charter school aimed at at-risk students. Gradebook. Tampa Tribune.

Course choice. Virtual education and course choice may hold promise for instruction in physics and other sciences, but policymakers should be aware of potential pitfalls, Paul Cottle writes at Bridge to Tomorrow.

Brown v. Board of Education. Civil-rights activists aim for equity and elimination of achievement gaps on the anniversary of the landmark ruling. Miami Herald.

Special needs. Exceptional education students showcase their talents in Wesley Chapel. Tampa Bay Times.

Funding. Palm Beach voters will have to choose between lower property taxes or funding for arts programs on their fall ballots. Sun-Sentinel. The district plans to spend up to $1 million on bus cameras. Palm Beach Post.

Valedictorians. Broward schools will keep the honorary titles for top high school graduates. Sun-Sentinel. A Palm Beach valedictorian is interested in neuroscience. Palm Beach Post.

Facilities. Leon County's schools superintendent acknowledges an FBI investigation in the wake of reports about the district's allocation of constructions contracts. Tallahassee Democrat. Largo High School may be poised for demolition, but the again building houses a rich history. Tampa Tribune.

Administration. Hillsborough's school district plans improvements after meetings with district employees. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times. A federal complaint against the Pasco superintendent is thrown out. Gradebook.

Testing. A fourth grader writes a song to rally students for the FCAT. Sun-Sentinel.

School safety. Teenagers are arrested after a gang-related incident on a school bus. Tampa Tribune. The family of a student shown in a video getting kicked by a police officer seeks an investigation. Palm Beach Post.

Employee conduct. A Palm Beach County guidance counselor faces DUI charges after getting stopped on the way to work. Palm Beach Post.  Lawsuits dog the Manatee County school district after a criminal case is closed against a former football coach. Bradenton Herald.

Tax credit scholarships. Legislation could soon expand eligibility for Florida's tax credit scholarship program to middle-class families. Florida Times-Union. The Tampa Bay Times editorializes against the bill. The lone House Democrat to support the legislation details her stance and her party's internal politics in the Miami Herald.

Charter schools. The Manatee County school district considers ending bus service for charter schools. Bradenton Herald. Officials talk charters in the Keys. Keys News.

School choice. A Palm Beach Post commentary criticizes the legislation, notes demand is rising for choice programs offered by school districts, and appears to confuse a proposed new scholarship account program for special-needs students with the existing McKay Scholarship program.

Prom. Students at charter schools and technical institutes organize their schools'  first proms. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Ocala Star-Banner.

Turnarounds. Mandatory school turnaround efforts can bring staff shakeups, even if administrators are reluctant. Tampa Bay Times.

Budgets. The Palm Beach County school board could soon ask voters to extend a tax dedicated to special areas of instruction like the arts. Palm Beach Post. The district's budget looks bleak, both for capital and operating expenditures, the Post reports. St. Johns County schools will see a smaller funding increase than they expected. St. Augustine Record. Volusia schools officials expect the business community will back  proposed sales tax extension. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Magnet schools. Students at a veterinary medicine program in Miami-Dade are scrambling to find homes for dogs as the school prepares for renovations. Miami Herald.

Teachers. StateImpact examines teachers' use of social media. The Tampa Bay Times posts the results of a Hillsborough teacher survey. The Winter Haven News Chief profiles an International Baccalaureate teacher. A Hillsborough middle school teacher gets a $10,000 bonus. Tampa Bay Times. Two Palm Beach County teachers plan to retire together. Palm Beach Post.

Pay raises. Monroe County teachers are a ratification vote away from a new contract agreement with the district. Keynoter.

Bullying. An anonymous messaging app fuels concerns. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A Hillsborough cheerleading coach is cleared of bullying allegations. Tampa Bay Times.

Transportation. Focus groups detail worker complaints with Hillsborough's bus system. Tampa Bay Times.

STEM. Collier County students compete in gadget-building and geocaching. Naples Daily News.

No Child Left Behind. Civil rights groups continue to take aim at Florida's learning objectives adopted as part of its waiver agreement with the federal government, which set different objectives for groups of students - including racial groups. Gradebook.

Nation's report card. The latest grades for America's high school seniors are "dismal."  Associated Press. Scores are largely flat in Florida, too. RedefinED. More from the Sun-Sentinel and StateImpact.

Personal learning accounts. A new Florida program could be the state of the art in parental choice, Matthew Ladner writes for the EdFly.

Tax credit scholarships. The program doesn't hurt public schools, the Tampa Tribune editorializes.

Turnarounds. Pasco County schools honor the gains of students who started out struggling. Tampa Bay Times.

Transportation. The Hillsborough school board grapples with problems in its bus system. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune. Hernando schools officials decide to preserve busing for students living near their scores. Tampa Bay Times.

Transgender students. A transgender student hopes to become prom king. Tampa Bay Times.

School boards. The Leon County School Board delays a meeting on contracting practices. WFSU. Tallahassee Democrat. A Democrat editorial calls for an explanation of the ongoing controversy. The Palm Beach County debates disciplining its top corruption watchdog. Palm Beach Post.

Real estate. The Miami-Dade school district considers selling some of its land. Miami Herald. The Manatee County school district rejects a $1.1 million land deal. Bradenton Herald.

Catholic schools. A Catholic high school in Fort Myers taps a local to be its next principal. Fort Myers News-Press.

Teachers. A Polk County teacher is a finalist for state recognition. Lakeland Ledger.

School safety. A bomb threat keeps middle school students at school in the afternoon. Ledger.

Graduation. The Palm Beach County school district prepares to recognize graduates bound for the military. Extra Credit.

Charter schools. A Miami charter school is under new management and getting a new landlord. Miami Herald. Pasco families fight to keep open a school for children with autism. Tampa Bay Times.

Tax credit scholarships. Don't blame poor science instruction on choice, Michael McShane of the American Enterprise Institute writes. Tallahassee Democrat. An Orlando Weekly article rails against the program. The debate over its effect on ESOL students continues.

Facilities. Polk County schools officials claim they lose out in the latest deal over capital projects. Lakeland Ledger. Leon County schools officials are accused of steering no-bid contracts to political supporters. Tallahassee Democrat.

School grades. Accountability transition legislation is poised to pass the House. News Service of Florida.

Special needs. The death of a special needs student casts a long shadow over Hillsborough County schools. Tampa Tribune.

Teacher conduct. A Pinellas teacher will retire after facing allegations of inappropriate conduct with female students. Tampa Tribune.

At-risk students. Pinellas schools give out college scholarships. Tampa Tribune.

A rewrite of Florida's charter school laws is ready for a vote on the House floor, but it remains contentious despite changes intended to address some of school districts' concerns.

The heart of the bill is intended to speed up contract negotiations between school districts and charter schools by requiring the two sides to resolve most of their differences on key issues during the charter application process.

Supporters of the legislation included Charles Gibson, a board attorney for several Florida charter schools.

He told the House Education Committee that charter schools sometimes have their applications approved, but lose the chance to open the next fall if districts challenge provisions of their contracts.

"The contract negotiations period is where the charter school needs the most help," he said. "We need to streamline this process."

Under amendments approved by the panel on Thursday, large charter networks that operate in multiple counties would be able to serve as "local education agencies" under federal rules, and members of charter school boards would be able to attend meetings by video conference.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, also made a series of changes intended to address issues raised by school districts.

Charter school networks from out of state could receive "high-performing" designation from the state that would make it easier for them to expand in Florida, but only if they locate in high-needs areas.

If students withdraw from a charter school and return to the public school system, the school district would be entitled to a share of the per-student funding associated with them. If school districts allow charter schools to operate in their under-used buildings, they would be able to charge rent.

Connie Milito, a longtime lobbyist for the Hillsborough County school district, said the changes helped resolve a few of school districts' concerns. But she opposed the bill because they felt it would take away their flexibility to negotiate terms of their contracts with charter schools.

"We need to find a middle ground where districts have to do the right thing, and there's some intervention when they do hold up these schools from opening, who have spent a lot on advertising and who are a part of our public school choice," she said. "We need to fix that. We just don't believe this is the way."

Democrats on the panel also proposed requiring charter schools to post bonds with the school district in case they failed to open, a proposal that was supported by school district representatives. The panel rejected the change after Diaz said it might be unworkable, but the issue could resurface as the bill heads to the floor.

The committee approved the measure on a party-line vote. It could face another obstacle in the Senate, which watered down its version of the charter school bill last week.

School choice legislation. The Senate rewrites its plan for education savings accounts. redefinED. Sentinel School Zone.  The move underscores the uncertain future of tax credit scholarship legislation. News Service of Florida. WFSU. Education historian Sherman Dorn offers his take on the politics, while Jeb Bush talks school choice with Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.

Charter schools. The Palm Beach County School Board votes to close a struggling, 16-year-old school. Palm Beach Post. Charter Schools USA backs away from plans to open a school in Pasco County. Gradebook.

Virtual school. A Florida Virtual School administrator is a finalist for a state award. Sentinel School Zone.

Teacher pay. Hernando County teachers reach a pay-raise deal that creates a structure for future performance-based increases. Tampa Bay Times.

School safety. Hillsborough County's superintendent didn't learn about a child's death until months after it happened. Tampa Bay Times. She tries to spread the word about pedestrian safety. Times. A bill allowing some school employees to carry guns keeps moving through the Legislature. Extra Credit. Associated Press. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

Charter schools. Florida State College at Jacksonville prepares to close its charter school. Florida Times-Union. The Duval County School Board green lights a separate charter proposal. Times-Union. The school district in Pinellas County considers taking over a charter school for at-risk students. Tampa Bay Times. A second Pinellas charter school is set to close in June. Tampa Tribune. A municipal charter in Miami-Dade gets a new director. Miami Herald. A Sunshine State News columnist chides liberals for their stances on charter schools.

Common Core. While Florida is largely sticking with the standards, the political backlash against them is prompting some legislative changes. Associated Press. One example: A textbook bill that cleared a House panel Tuesday. Extra credit. That's not enough for opponents of the standards, who are calling "mayday" to their allies nationally. Sentinel School Zone.

Prayer. A family says their 5-year-old daughter was told not to pray in her Seminole County school. Orlando Sentinel. The incident stirs controversy. WKMG. Gradebook.

Dual enrollment. The Lee County School Board reaches a deal with local colleges to cover the costs. Fort Myers News-Press.

Student safety. The Hillsborough County School Board approves a settlement in the wake of a girl's death. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times.

Employees. The Pasco school board overturns an employees suspension. Tampa Tribune. Gradebook. A Vietnamese former employee alleges racial discrimination in a lawsuit against the Palm Beach County school district. Extra Credit.

Administration. The Walton school board prepares to appoint a new superintendent. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Teachers. Volusia County schools have more than 600 first-year teachers. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Transportation. The Hernando school board considers a "hub" model. Gradebook.

 

Open enrollment. Duval County's plan for universal public school choice is now on hold indefinitely, the Florida Times-Union reports. More from WJCT. WJXT.

 Tax credit scholarships. The Florida PTA comes out against legislation expanding the tax credit scholarships program. Extra Credit. A Tampa Bay Times columnist rails against the program, seizing on the fact that students do not take the statewide standardized tests. More on the bill from Watchdog.Org.

Charter schools. Einstein Academies gain a foothold in South Florida. Sun-Sentinel. A Brevard charter school wins local recognition for its "green" practices. Florida Today. NBC Miami tackles facilities funding questions.

Common Core. Trouble finding quality textbooks aligned to the standards prompts Pasco schools to delay a round of textbook adoption decisions. Gradebook.

Textbooks. Scripps/Tribune writes up the bill that could soon remove the state from adoption decisions.

Transportation. Safety concerns and other complaints are mounting among Hillsborough bus drivers, and school board members are heating about it. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times. Officials look to make buses safer for disabled students. Tampa Tribune.

Student discipline. Advocates seek changes to zero-tolerance policies. Tampa Bay Times. The Senate advances the "pop-tart" zero-tolerance overhaul. WFSU.

Teacher conduct. Penalties for sexual misconduct could soon get steeper. Sun-Sentinel.

Athletic transfers. An internal investigation turns up no wrongdoing in Okaloosa County. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Politics. A Gainesville middle school teacher prepares to run against a controversial Congressman. Gainesville Sun.