U.S. school safety report: The federal safety commission looking into school shootings is recommending an end to Obama administration guidance for schools that was intended to curb discipline disparities for students of color and those with disabilities. The panel, led by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, also urges schools “to seriously consider the option of partnering with local law enforcement in the training and arming of school personnel,” but stopped short of saying it should be a mandate. The 177-page report says school buildings should be hardened and journalists should be "be more responsible in their coverage of school shootings." The report promptly drew criticism. Associated Press. New York Times. Washington Post. Washington Times. NBC News. Politico. Politico Florida. Education Week. Chalkbeat. The 74. Sun Sentinel. The state commission's report takes a stronger stance on arming school employees than the federal panel's does. Politico Florida. Does the future of teacher training include treating gunshot wounds? It could, as soon as next year. WLRN.

A whopping bill: An engineering report concludes that the Duval County School District needs $1.08 billion to repair or replace its 159 schools if it chooses to keep them all open. The report by Jacob Engineers says Duval has some of the oldest school buildings in the state, and 56 need to be replaced. School officials are considering ways to raise money for repairs, saying they need about $80 million a year but receive just $22 million from the state. Florida Times-Union. (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…)

School choice survey: A recent survey concludes that the state's K-12 tax credit scholarship program has greatly expanded educational opportunities for low-income families, and that those families are overwhelmingly satisfied with the program. More than 14,700 parents responded to the survey by the advocacy and research group EdChoice, with 92 percent reporting they are happy with the program and 89 percent saying they were satisfied with the private schools they chose for their children. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship serves more than 100,000 students from families with an average income of $25,740 a year. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the scholarship. Gradebook. redefinED.

Contract negotiations: The Volusia County School Districts and its teachers union reach agreement on a three-year contract that gives teachers a 3 percent raise this year and 7.5 percent over the contract in return for a 30-minute longer elementary school day. Daytona Beach News-Journal. St. Johns County School District bus drivers will receive a pay hike of 50 cents an hour, to $13.57 as a starting wage, under an agreement between the union and district. St. Augustine Record. The Brevard County School District has cut $9 million from next year's budget. But school officials say nearly all of it is committed to mandatory spending on security and mental health services, charter school growth, money for the Florida Retirement System, costs to reopen South Lake Elementary School and resuming busing for choice schools, leaving little for teacher raises. The district has offered less than 2 percent, or about $575 a year for teachers rated highly effective. The union is demanding nearly six times that. Florida Today. The Pasco County School District is offering its teachers a 1.5 percent pay increase. The teachers want 3.75 percent, leaving the sides about $5 million apart. But both sides are optimistic that a deal can be reached soon. Negotiations resume in a week. Gradebook. (more…)