Teacher shortage: Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wants to convert instructional coaches and interventionists into teachers in classrooms, as the district continues to struggle to fill open positions. Vitti, who had pushed for those coaching positions, now believes it's more important to have qualified teachers in the classrooms. The district has nearly 200 openings. Several school board members are reluctant to commit to the change, saying they are worried about reversing recent reading improvements. Florida Times-Union.

Dreamers worry: More than 100,000 undocumented immigrants have been living in the United States, going to school and working under President Obama's 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. These Dreamers, as they are known, are worried that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his campaign pledge to end the program and send them back to their home countries. "I established my whole life here now, and it will be difficult if he does repeal it," says Ahtziry Barrera, who graduated from Orlando's Colonial High School in 2016 and is a first-year student at Rollins College. Orlando Sentinel. Politico Florida.

Lawsuit settlement: The Palm Beach County School Board is expected to approve a $4.7 million settlement this week with a student who suffered brain damage when a tractor tire exploded in his high school automotive repair class in 2013. Dustin Reinhardt lost one of his eyes, much of his face and part of his brain in the accident at Seminole Ridge High. The board will pay $300,000 now, and the rest has to be approved by the Legislature. Sun-Sentinel.

Teaching MLK: Teachers in St. Augustine schools try to weave the history Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made in the city into their lessons. St. Augustine Record. (more…)

The lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the nation's largest private school choice program and an advocate who helped establish it squared off Wednesday on Southwest Florida public radio.

The rare public exchange between Joanne McCall, the president of Florida Education Association, and John Kirtley, the chairman and founder of Step Up For Students*, came the week after the case was argued in a state appellate court. The full WGCU broadcast can be heard here.

A key issue at this stage of the case is whether the plaintiffs adequately alleged that the tax credit scholarship program, which serves more than 78,000 low-income children, actually harms the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, or whether they just dislike it politically.

Kirtley pointed to multiple studies by state economists showing the scholarship program saves the state money. In recent years, as the program has grown by tens of thousands of students, per-pupil public-school funding has gone up, he said. If school districts suddenly had to absorb nearly 80,000 students, "per-pupil spending would go down."

What's more, public schools would have to build new space for them, at a time when many are struggling to handle existing growth. In fast-growing Central Florida, for example, WFTV recently reported that Osceola County expects to add 10,000 students in the next five years, and is hoping charter schools can help accommodate them. There are nearly 3,000 students in the district on scholarships. (more…)

Note: Our coverage of today's hearing can be found here.

A Florida appeals court this afternoon will hear arguments in a lawsuit challenging the state's tax credit scholarship program, which allows more than 78,000 low-income students to attend private schools.
The statewide teachers union, the state chapter of the NAACP, the League of Women voters and other groups challenged the program in August of 2014, but a Leon County circuit court judge dismissed the case in May 2015.

Groups representing school boards and school administrators have since dropped out of the suit, but the remaining plaintiffs are taking the case to the First District Court of Appeal, and Joanne McCall, the lead plaintiff and president of the Florida Education Association, has said she plans to fight the lawsuit all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.

Ahead of the hearing, a group of scholarship parents and African-American ministers called a press conference, where they presented a petition signed by 100 prominent religious leaders and by 5,000 others online, calling on the NAACP to drop out of the suit. Several clergy members who say they generally align with the civil rights organization have criticized its involvement in the case.

"We are friends of the NAACP," Rev. R.B. Holmes, pastor of Tallahassee's Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, said, noting he is a lifelong member. "My great organization is on the wrong side of history on this."

The petition states:

We see no principled reason to fight an education program that is targeted exclusively at low-income children and has a 14-year track record of helping black students succeed. We believe in public education, and believe this scholarship makes it stronger.

According to Politico Florida, Adora Obi Nweze, president of Florida's NAACP chapter, responded that the program has undermined public schools, an argument the plaintiffs have also made in court. (more…)

Education on trial: Openings arguments are heard in the civil trial accusing Florida of not fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. Attorneys for Citizens for Strong Schools argue that the state's racial achievement gap, emphasis on testing and lack of adequate funding keep it from fulfilling a 1998 constitutional amendment. Attorneys for the Department of Education and the Legislature say the state is a national leader in education and still improving. The nonjury trial in Tallahassee is expected to last five weeks. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Associated Press. WFSU.

Teacher bonuses: The teacher bonuses program was passed by the Legislature, but it continues to be a subject for debate. Some speculate that a legal challenge could be made if Gov. Rick Scott approves the $49 million program, which was extended for a year. Gradebook. Scott says he's listening to legislative leaders as he decides whether to approve or veto items in the budget. Tampa Bay Times.

FEA targets: Joanne McCall, president of the Florida Education Association, says this year's legislative elections are an opportunity to change education politics in Tallahassee. Gradebook.

Opting out: While the state says the only excuse acceptable for opting out of the Florida Standards Assessments testing is a medical one, anti-test advocates say there are loopholes. Broward Palm Beach New Times.

Charter schools issues: Florida Virtual Academy at Borward is closing when the school year ends after an audit revealed poor academic performance and allegations of ethical breaches. Also expected to close is the affiliated Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach. They are not part of the Florida Virtual School, the longtime state-run online education program. Also recommended for termination is a Lauderdale Lakes charter school, Pathways Academy, which allegedly falsified documents, inflated student enrollment and used state money for personal travel and expenses. Sun-Sentinel. The Ocoee City Commission is expected to decide tonight whether to approve an application from the Renaissance Charter School at Westyn Bay. The Orange County School Board has already approved. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Education bill: The Florida Senate passes a sweeping education bill (HB 7029) that would, among other things, allow any student to choose any school that has a vacancy, allow athletes who transfer to play immediately and adds some charter school accountability. It now goes back to the House for approval of the more than a dozen significant policy changes added by the Senate. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Sunshine State News. WFSU. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, says the House is open to agreeing on a compromise on HB 7029. Politico Florida.

Teacher bonuses: The Florida Education Association is urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto the teacher bonuses program. Joanne McCall, president of the teachers union, says the bill had not been "thoroughly vetted" in the Senate, so its $49 million should stricken from the budget. The teachers union has opposed the program, arguing that it discriminates against older teachers and those who are minorities. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Education Week. Four challenges to the teacher bonuses program have been filed by the Sarasota teachers union, which says the way the bonuses are awarded is unfair. In one case, a teacher was awarded an $8,200 bonus. The three other cases are pending. Saintpetersblog.com.

Revenue availability: The Legislature passes a bill that will give school districts quicker access to their tax revenue and the ability to better budget. Many school officials have complained for years that delays in tax collections have shortchanged public schools. Miami Herald.

Superintendent evaluation: The Broward County School Board evaluates Superintendent Robert Runcie, but this time with no ratings. Board members noted Runcie is providing leadership, has improved district communication and graduation rates, and is well-respected by his peers. Areas for improvement: having staff be more responsive to board requests and delays in filling open positions. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)

Talk about irony.

The head of the Florida teachers union – which is suing to kill the nation’s largest private school choice program – said this week that one of Florida’s biggest educational voucher programs led to improvements in student learning, and strongly suggested the program be given more state money.

Florida Education Association President Joanne McCall was referring to the state’s Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) program. It’s a government-funded voucher. It cost the state nearly $400 million last year alone. And it allowed 125,000 students to attend private institutions, including 27,000 at faith-based providers.

McCall’s voucher support came via this Context Florida op-ed, which slammed a Florida Chamber of Commerce report praising the state’s education reforms, particularly in terms of regulatory accountability. She shrugged them off and pointed instead to two union-backed policies: shrinking class sizes and VPK.

“Both have accomplished more to improve student learning than most of the policies advocated in the Chamber report,” McCall wrote. And about VPK in particular, she added, the chamber ignores the fact that “Florida’s prekindergarten per-student funding is among the lowest in the nation, leading not surprisingly to pre-K programs that are inferior to those in most states.” (more…)

School construction spending: The Florida Association of District School Superintendents fires off a letter to legislators to refute the allegations that school officials have misspent millions in construction dollars. The association claims some legislators are misrepresenting the data in order to shift construction money to charter schools. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel.

School testing: The U.S. Department of Education is offering states suggestions on how to cut back on the time students spend on standardized testing. Associated Press. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day falls on April 18, but that's a Florida Standards Assessment testing day. So Palm Beach County is moving its observation to March 18. Palm Beach Post.

Education commissioner: A bill that would ask voters to make the education commissioner position an elected one and give it Cabinet status is probably dead, according to its House sponsor, Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach. The bill was approved by the Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee Tuesday, but no hearings are scheduled in the House. TCPalm. Gradebook.

Recess bills: Self-described "recess moms" of Florida are lobbying state senators to take action on a bill that would require 20 minutes of recess a day in elementary schools. The bill is moving through the House, but has yet to get a Senate hearing. Gradebook. Politico Florida. (more…)

Two events of national import on the school choice front in Florida deserve more celebration. Both of them – the 10,000-strong school choice rally with Martin Luther King III, and the signing of the bill expanding Florida’s education savings account program – suggest the choice debate continues to move to a less political place, or at least a more bipartisan one. Who doesn’t say hooray to that?

The Jan. 19 rally generated a flood of headlines in large part because of King. Many in the school choice realm know choice has roots on the left, but that’s not common knowledge among choice critics or reporters. So when the son of Dr. King joined thousands of low-income parents chanting “Drop The Suit!” (referring to the lawsuit the teachers union filed to kill the state’s tax credit scholarship program), fresh ink flowed by the barrel over stale narratives about right-wing plots.

The choice rally was also upbeat and nearly apolitical, unlike a teacher union rally the week prior. The choice crowd sang “We Are Family”; the union rally played “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Nobody at the former talked about kicking politicians out of office. King expressed faith in the courts: “Ultimately, if the courts have to decide, the courts will be on the side of justice,” he told the crowd. “Because this is about justice. This is about righteousness. This is about truth. This is about freedom – the freedom to choose what's best for your family, and your child most importantly.”

The bill signing two days later didn’t get as much publicity, but it was just as meaningful. Gov. Rick Scott okayed expansion of the Gardiner Scholarship after the bill sailed through the Legislature with overwhelming, bipartisan support. Formerly called the Personal Learning Scholarship Account, the Gardiner Scholarship for students with special needs is now the nation’s biggest education savings account program. It’s a sign of where things are headed as school choice becomes educational choice, and as the forces for customizing education rise to the fore.

It’s also a sign of political progress. For those familiar with Florida’s long-running “voucher wars,” seeing Democrats and Republicans alike go all in for the scholarship was incredible. The union savaged the PLSA before it became law in 2014, and even tried to kill the bill that created it. Less than two years later, every Democratic lawmaker is on board?! The support is even more stunning given how partisan school choice remains in virtually every state. What quietly happened in Florida with the Gardiner Scholarship is a sign of how things can and should be everywhere, and, slowly but surely, will be. (more…)

Last week's rally for tax credit scholarships continues to spur debate on editorial pages across Florida, but perhaps the most poignant exchange took place in the capital city's newspaper, where a parent responded to the leader of the statewide teachers union.

Joanne McCall, the president of the Florida Education Association, wrote a guest column last week in the Tallahassee Democrat:

It has become an annual tradition during the legislative session and this Tuesday was no exception: Voucher proponents empty out private schools that receive money from the state, and bus students up to Tallahassee for a political pep rally.

Lawmakers continue to pump more money that should be going to state coffers into the tax-credit voucher program, making it bigger every year. But what do we know about the quality of these schools that receive tax dollars from the state? Not a whole lot.

The rally was neither annual nor political, but Faith Manuel, a former scholarship parent who spoke at the event, addressed that and other issues in her response.

As a parent who was honored to stand with Martin Luther King III and other respected black, white and Hispanic leaders in a historic rally in Tallahassee on Tuesday, I was stunned to read the reaction of Florida teachers union president JoAnne McCall.

In her attempt to ridicule the 10,000 students, parents and educators who came from around the state to voice support for Tax Credit Scholarships for low-income children, Ms. McCall intentionally misled Tallahassee Democrat readers. We could only wish this had been merely a “political pep rally,” as she termed it, in the same vein as the union rallied four days earlier to criticize lawmakers. But we were there for one purpose, as expressed on our shirts: “Drop the Suit.”

(more…)

School district changes?: State Sen. Jeff Brandes and State Rep. Matt Caldwell, both Republicans, support changes to the state constitution that could, among other things, allow the breakup of countywide school districts and end nonpartisan school board elections. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools: A Pinellas County charter school is being asked to account for a $75,000 federal grant or return the money to the district. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach County School Board denies the applications of four charter schools. Palm Beach Post.

School testing: Joanne McCall, new president of the Florida Education Association, says the union will continue to fight against "testing mania." Orlando Sentinel. Florida's standardized assessment tests should be used as a baseline to measure progress, not to grade schools and teacher, the Bradenton Herald editorializes. Wendy Bradshaw talks about her very public resignation from a Polk County elementary school. Tampa Bay Times.

Early education: Bay County school officials and community leaders are launching an initiative to improve educational opportunities for children from the cradle to entering the workforce. Panama City News Herald.

Civics education: Two U.S. representatives from Florida, Republican Dennis Ross and Democrat Gwen Graham, are urging high schools to provide more civics education. Sunshine State News.

Lottery sales: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow lottery ticket sales by automated credit and debit card machines, saying it could boost the amount of money going to education. WFSU.

Social media policies: Most Florida school districts have no policies surrounding the use of social media by employees, a study by a University of Florida doctoral student reveals. University of Florida.

Financial audit: Here's what Hillsborough school officials might be facing if they hire the Gibson Consulting Group to do a financial audit. Gradebook.

Literacy improvement: The literacy rate in Indian River County schools is up 12 percent, in large part due to Learning Alliance programs. TCPalm.

Superintendent shopping: Hernando County School Superintendent Lori Romano is applying for the top job in Osceola County. Tampa Bay Times.

School calendar: Lee County schools sets Aug. 10 as the first day of the 2016-2017 school year. Fort Myers News-Press.

Guns at school: A Miami Jackson Senior High student is arrested for bringing a gun to school. Miami Herald. A fifth grader's toy gun leads to a lockdown at Orange Brook Elementary School in Hollywood. Sun-Sentinel. A 17-year-old Manatee High School student who brought a BB gun to school is barred from returning to school and will take online courses the rest of this school year. Bradenton Herald.

Educators die: Gulf Coast High drama teacher Scarlett LaVite, 51, dies during a snorkeling outing while on a cruise. Naples Daily News. Patricia Rouse, assistant principal at Ft. Braden Elementary School, dies at 45. Tallahassee Democrat.

Employee discipline: A spilled water bottle leads to a tirade that may get a Boca Raton middle school math teacher fired. Palm Beach Post. A Duval County schools police officer is suspended after a scuffle with a parent. Jacksonville Times-Union.

Teacher upsets PETA: A video of a Sickles High School teacher juggling three dead frogs during class leads to a call from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the state to ban animal dissection in schools. Tampa Bay Times.

Students and cell phones: Should parents monitor their child's cell phone activity? A parent and teacher offers some guidelines. Miami Herald.

Racial slurs: Miami Palmetto Senior High School is reeling after racial slurs are posted on a social media chat forum. Miami Herald.

Student enrichment: A man born without limbs is sharing his anti-bullying message with students across Florida. Sun-Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Students at Dundee Elementary School are assembling 20 prosthetic hands printed by their 3-D printer to donate to other children. Lakeland Ledger. The Smiles Care a Van stops in Pasco schools to dispense free preventative dental services. Tampa Bay Times. An Orlando student who grew up in the foster care system and is now at Florida State University talks about his life. Orlando Sentinel. A Boca Raton ninth-grader creates an ocean energy probe to win the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Palm Beach Post. Gulf Breeze High School drama instructor Margie Timmons is named Florida Association for Theatre Education's teacher of the year. Pensacola News Journal. Patronis Elementary students get hands-on experience at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. Panama City News Herald.