Charter schools. A new charter opening in Broward this fall will offer blended learning. THE Journal. The Imagine in Pasco offers an expanded expansion request. Gradebook.

Magnet schools. The Palm Beach district is speeding up its annual lottery process. Palm Beach Post.

Single-gender schools. The Palm Beach district finds a new home for an all-boys academy. Palm Beach Post.

School choice. Orange will allow students at overcrowded schools to transfer to less-crowded schools. Orlando Sentinel. Okaloosa is ending a horticulture program at one of its high school in part because of lack of interest. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Dual enrollment. The Bradenton Herald writes up the potential effect on Manatee of the Legislature's cost shift to districts.

NAEP. Scores for older students remain at the same level they were 40 years ago, but achievement is trending up for younger, minority students. Associated Press.

Science. The vast majority of commenters during a review period want Florida to adopt Next Generation Science Standards. Orlando Sentinel.

Jeb Bush. His Foundation for Florida's Future issues its annual legislative report card.

Rick Scott. In a discussion with teachers of the year from around the state, he stresses increased funding for education. Palm Beach Post. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.

School spending. The Pinellas school board turns down the idea of contracting its police force out to the sheriff's office, even though it might save money. Gradebook. More from the Tampa Tribune.

Superintendents. Brevard's Brian Binggeli gets a positive eval and an offer of a three-year contact. Florida Today.

North Carolina: The private school voucher bill continues to raise questions as it moves through the Legislature (Winston-Salem Journal).

Texas: The Legislature passes a bill that gradually expands the number of charter schools from 215 to 305 by 2019 (Associated Press). A new bill would expand the virtual school program and let high school students take up to three online courses a year, paying for additional classes if they choose (The Dallas Morning News).

Utah: Highmark Charter School offers basic business skills, including entrepreneurship, to students in K-8 grades (Education Week).

Alabama: Democrats say they'll use the education act, which included new school choice tax credits to help parents pay for private school, to get Republican supporters voted out of office (Associated Press).

Arizona: A growing number of students are earning high school diplomas and college credits through dual-enrollment programs (Arizona Republic).

Michigan: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush talks about the need for parents and students to have more school choice options (Detroit Free Press).

Wisconsin: Lawmakers back away from Gov. Scott Walker's plans for a statewide charter school board and voucher expansion (State Journal). Republicans are working on a deal that would increase funding for public schools and extend a school voucher program (Journal Sentinel).

Louisiana: Students using private school vouchers performed worse on state standardized tests than their public counterparts (Times-Picayune). (more…)

Teacher evals. Governing looks at whether teachers unions in other states will file suits similar to Florida's.

Teacher conduct. A veteran Broward County teacher is suspended for 13 days without pay for allowing an "overly permissive" classroom environment in which, among other things, she talked about her sex life. Her reassignment to a school for at-risk kids prompted a board member to ask, "How long are we going to continue to pay people to fail kids?” Miami Herald.

School spending.  Hernando projects a $4 million budget deficit, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas should be getting $37 million more next year, reports Gradebook. The Flagler school board considers cutting paraprofessionals in an effort to fill a budget gap, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. Broward is considering outsourcing its facilities department, reports the Miami Herald. The Volusia school board votes to outsource custodial services for an estimated savings of $30 million over five years, reports the Daytona Beach News Journal. The Miami-Dade district auditor says a health care firm may have overbilled the district more than $1 million, the Herald also reports.

School choice. Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning talks about expanding district choices. Tampa Tribune.

Rick Scott. The Republican Party of Florida unveils two ads supporting Gov. Rick Scott's education record. StateImpact Florida.

Jeb Bush. The next Foundation for Excellence in Education summit will be in Boston in October. EdFly Blog. (more…)

The parent trigger proposal survived many twists and turns this session only to die on the Senate floor this week in yet another down-to-the-wire 20-20 tie - just like last year. The measure would have let parents petition to offer a turnaround plan for a failing school.

https://storify.com/redefinEDonline/florida-senate-to-parent-trigger-bill-oops-we-did#publicize

It’s true: ALEC likes school choice. Walton likes school choice. Jeb Bush likes school choice. Some of the folks who like school choice even say bad things about traditional public schools and teachers unions.

But this is true too: President Barack Obama is a fan of charter schools. Former President Bill Clinton is ga-ga about KIPP. Liberal lions like Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hubert Humphrey supported public funding for private options.

More importantly, this is true: Growing numbers of parents and politicians of all stripes like school choice. Many don’t bash public schools or teachers unions. Many could care less who the Koch Brothers are.

I know this is obvious to anybody who’s managed to take a peek beneath the surface of the choice debate. But at this time of year, with state legislatures in Florida and elsewhere in session, complexity is not a common commodity. Anything having to do with school choice is sealed into a boilerplate narrative about for-profit this and right-wing that. This year in Florida, the privatization label has even surfaced in stories about student data and IEPs for students with disabilities.

It’s different in the real world. Out here, parents are flocking to new learning options for the most personal of reasons: the success of their kids. (more…)

Charter schools. The Pinellas school district could lose $6 million next year if the school board approves a new charter school and the proposed expansion of several others. Gradebook.

Jeb Bush. Digital learning, Common Core and empowering the parents of students with disabilities top the legislative agenda for Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, says executive director Patricia Levesque. StateImpact Florida.

School spending. Lawmakers consider bringing back the "critical needs" millage, reports Gradebook. The Lee school district is auctioning off two unused buildings, reports the Fort Myers News Press.

School safety. Lawmakers are poised to pass legislation that would allow school nurses to use EpiPens for students without a prescription. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Florida earns a B+ and ranks second nationally when it comes to embracing policies and practices that advance digital learning, according to a national report released Thursday.

The state earned an A or A- in six of 10 categories on the 2012 Digital Learning Report Card, which is compiled by Digital Learning Now!, an arm of Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education. Among the categories where Florida fared well: student eligibility, student access, quality content and funding. The state also earned a B  for "quality choices."

But it could only muster a C for "quality instruction." And it got hit with two D's - one for "advancement," because it's not there yet when it comes to basing credits on competency rather than seat time; and one for "delivery," because it's not there yet when it comes to upgrading the technological infrastructure in its schools. StateImpact Florida touched on the latter issue in this piece Wednesday.

Utah earned the highest grade, an A-, while only four other states earned B's: Georgia, Minnesota, Virginia and Kansas.

The report notes Florida Virtual School is the largest public online course provider in the U.S., and that Florida has more online learners than any other state.

Editor's note: This is the second of two parts about Lake Wales Charter Schools. Part one here.

Robin Gibson counts one legendary Democratic governor as a close friend, and helped run the U.S. Senate campaign of another. So it may be surprising to some, given the misperceptions about school choice, that the prominent Democrat is a leading figure behind the creation of a city-wide charter school system in Central Florida.

When Gibson, an attorney, led the charge back in 2002 to turn around struggling schools in Lake Wales, he knew it would be a labor of love. Public education is at the heart of what the former Florida Board of Regents chairman believes makes communities successful.

“If there are great schools, the rest of it will take care of itself,” he told redefinED in a recent interview.

It was that belief that guided Gibson to search for a way to improve education in Lake Wales, long after his children had moved away, and to convince others to support the cause. The effort resulted in a new system, Lake Wales Charter Schools, with six schools and nearly 4,000 students.

None of it would have happened, say many in the community, without the drive and dedication of their adopted native son.

“He is kind of seen as our local statesman,’’ said Betty Wojcik, executive director of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and a trustee for the Lake Wales charter system.

The Miami native and University of Florida graduate came to this picturesque stretch of Polk County in 1966, ready to work for a new law firm and start a family with his wife, Jean. “I’d had enough saltwater and palm trees,’’ he told a reporter in 2006. “I was looking for a small town, rolling hills, lakes and oak trees.’’

Gibson’s four children attended Lake Wales public schools – but not for long. Dissatisfied with their quality, he and Jean sent their kids to private schools outside of town. But it didn’t sit well with Gibson that his beloved city’s schools weren’t up to snuff. (more…)

Charter schools. Tallahassee Democrat columnist Byron Dobson takes issue with last week's DOE press release about charter school performance, which was headlined, "Report shows charter school students outpace traditional public school students." "Somehow the DOE headline comes across as a slam against public schools," he writes.

School choice. The Escambia school district is set to offer more public school options within geographic zones, prompting School Board Chairman Jeff Bergosh to say:“What we’re doing is the logical next step in public education. Because of this ancient system of geographic boundaries, it shuts out students from being able to go to a better school. This moves the ball forward and allows parents an opportunity.” Pensacola News Journal.

Career education. The Tampa Tribune likes where the Legislature is headed with career education.

Parent trigger. Authentic parents vs. authentic lobbyists, writes StateImpact Florida. An update from SchoolZone. Privatization, says this op-ed in the Ledger.

Digital learning. The conversion in the St. Johns district is welcome but challenging. St. Augustine Record.

Private schools. The Tallahassee Democrat profiles a 40-year-old Episcopalian school whose alumni include the children and grandchildren of Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee. (more…)

Charter schools. Brooksville's first charter school, one with a STEM focus, will open this fall, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Competition from charter schools is forcing the Palm Beach County school district to think harder about its needs and priorities, reports the Palm Beach Post. Charters are also sparking debate among Palm Beach school board members about how much help they should give struggling charters, the Post also reports. An op-ed in the Miami Herald raises concerns about charter schools' diversity and financial incentives. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune profiles the principal of the Imagine charter school that is trying to break free from the parent company.

Magnet schools. The Tampa Tribune applauds the Hillsborough school district for creating a magnet tied to the maritime industry.

Alternative schools. Troubled girls get a fresh start at a sheriffs' youth  ranch in Polk County. Orlando Sentinel.

Tax credit scholarships. Great back-and-forth between scholars Kevin Welner at NEPC and Jason Bedrick at Cato, with Florida's program a big part of their debate. Cato at Liberty.

School choice. It's often partisan. Sunshine State News.

Parent trigger. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett raises a constitutional question. The Florida Current. (more…)