Charter schools. They're becoming more involved in the political process, reports the Florida Times Union. The Bradenton Herald takes a look at the challenges ahead for Rowlett Elementary, the Bradenton magnet that's becoming a charter school. So does the Sarasota Herald Tribune. (Sidebar on other charter school conversions here.) The fledgling Ben Gamla charterschool  in Pinellas closes because of a dispute with its national board, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The Lake Wales Charter School system has more than 400 students on a waiting list for its middle school, prompting debate how to expand, reports the Lakeland Ledger.

Dual enrollment. Districts are chafing at having to pick up the tab, reports the Tampa Bay Times. More from the Northwest Florida Daily News.

School choice. The lottery process will be a topic for discussion at a school choice summit in Palm Beach County. Extra Credit.

Common Core. Training helps teachers instill love of math, reports StateImpact Florida. It's clear, concise and good for kids, says a teacher at a high-poverty school in this column by Karin Choweth at Ed Trust (H/T Tampa Bay Times).

Testing. The Happy Scientist raises questions about the science FCAT. Miami Herald.

Humanities. Don't forget them amidst the growing emphasis on STEM. Tampa Bay Times.

School technology. Hillsborough teachers like BYOD. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

School grades: Schools superintendents from across the state warn Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and the Board of Education that the new school grades formula will result in more F schools. Tampa Bay Times. More from the Palm Beach Post and Orlando Sentinel.

Lawsuits: A judge has ruled that the federal discrimination suit against the Hillsborough County school district in the death of special education student Isabella Herrera can proceed. Tampa Bay Times. The Pasco County School Board sues Citigroup over allegations of bond fraud. Tampa Bay Times.

Wanted: The Hillsborough County School Board is looking for an attorney to replace Tom Gonzalez. Only three candidates have applied. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools: Pembroke Pines officials agree not to contract with Charter Schools USA to operate the city's charter schools for at least two years, and teachers agree to take a pay cut. Sun Sentinel.

Student count: A Lake County charter school has to prove it kept proper attendance records, but that could leave the district may have to pay back some or all of state funding it received for those students. Orlando Sentinel.

Health care: A sharp increase in employee health-insurance premiums has prompted the Seminole School Board to consider a self-insurance program. Orlando Sentinel.

New boss: The Lee County School Board voted unanimously to approve the contract for new schools Superintendent Nancy Graham. News-Press. More about Graham's $169,000 contract from Naples News.

FCAT: Sarasota County students from low-income families continue to fall behind on their FCAT scores prompting school board members to search for remedy. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Attendance zones: Escambia County school officials approve new attendance zones. Pensacola News-Journal.

AP classes: Schools superintendents tell state Board of Education leaders that a recent legislative bill allowing high school students to take as many advanced placement courses as they want will cost districts millions of dollars that district budgets can't support. Associated Press.

Charter schools: Pembroke Pines city leaders release a privatization plan for its charter schools system that could result in hundreds of teachers losing their jobs. Miami Herald. The city plans to contract with Charter Schools USA for $10 million a year to operate the system. Sun-Sentinel.

School grades: Education officials from across the state head to Tampa today to talk with Board of Education members about the state's school-grading formula. Miami Herald.

Budget cuts: Lake County School Board members on Monday discussed changing school start times and cutting courtesy busing to fill a $16.3 million budget shortfall for next fiscal year. Orlando Sentinel.

Prison: Former Rosarian Academy teacher Stephen Budd faces a life in prison surrounding allegations that he traded candy for sex with 9-year-old students. Palm Beach Post.

Lawsuit: Palm Beach County schools sues the city of West Palm Beach for unpaid stormwater fees. Palm Beach Post.

Tony: Education Commissioner Tony Bennett talks Common Core, charter schools, teacher quality and more. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

FCAT: Florida releases scores today for reading, math and science. Miami Herald.

Graduation rates: Florida sees strong growth in grad rates, report finds. Gradebook. Florida's high school graduation rates for Hispanics tops nation. Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald.

Charter school conversion: Rowlett parents weigh the benefits of converting their district school into a charter school. Bradenton Herald.

Advanced Placement: Report praises Orange County schools for improving black students' AP passing rates. Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher conduct: A Skycrest Elementary School teacher faces firing for allegedly abusing two special needs students earlier this year. Tampa Bay Times.

School hiring: Pinellas Superintendent Mike Grego names a new area superintendent and three executive directors for elementary, middle and high school education. Tampa Bay Times. New principal appointments at Campbell Park Elementary, Blanton Elementary, Largo Middle, and Northwest Elementary. Tampa Bay Times. A former principal charged with stealing school property will become the principal of a Boynton Beach charter school. Palm Beach Post.

Teacher unions: Jackson County teachers OK salary proposals. Jackson County Floridian. Monroe County teachers' union and district talk about unpaid furloughs, other negotiations. Keynoter.

Nonrenewed: A Hillsborough County school board candidate loses his job as a district teacher. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Charter schools. Parents at Rowlett Elementary, a magnet in Manatee, say their calculations show a charter school conversion will bring in more money for fine arts programs. Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School holds its first ever graduation for full-time students, reports the Seminole Chronicle. Lee County's virtual school, the Lee Virtual Instruction Program, gets a  Bronze ranking from U.S. News & World Report's high school rating system, reports Fort Myers Beach Talk.

School technology. Foundations may need to help school districts shift into higher gear. StateImpact Florida.

Common Core. Crazy claim of the week: involves Glenn Beck, Common Core and eyeball scanners in Polk County. Oh, mercy. EdFly Blog.

Retiring teachers. A final farewell. South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Graduating seniors. A Pinellas teen with cancer finds the strength to walk with her class. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Bullying. Gov. Rick Scott signs the anti-bullying bill into law. Gradebook.

Teacher conduct. A private school teacher in West Delray is under investigation for allegations of sex with a student, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. State officials are investigating whether a Collier County teacher verbally abused students, reports the NBC-2. A fired Duval teacher appeals, claiming age discrimination, reports the Florida Times Union.

Gays and lesbians. A federal judge rules in favor of a Lake County middle school student who wants to create a Gay Straight Alliance at her school. Orlando Sentinel.

K-8 schools. Orange County is going to create more of them. StateImpact Florida.

Spelling bee. A home school student from South Florida makes it to the semifinals, reports the Miami Herald. The winner, Arvind Mahankali of New York, is the sixth straight Indian-American to win and the 11th in the last 15 years. (more…)

Kiera Wilmot. Prosecutors won't file criminal charges against Kiera Wilmot, the Polk County student who has become a cause celebre after igniting a small chemical explosion on school grounds, reports the Lakeland Ledger. Beth Kassab says the arrest took things way too far. In the aftermath, neighboring Orange will get clarification on its zero tolerance policies, reports SchoolZone. Huffington Post op-ed: "Five ways to stop a black scientist."

Online learning. Privatization, everywhere. Bradenton Herald.

School choice. A private transportation option - at $1,350 annually per student - has emerged for students in Brevard's district choice schools, reports Florida Today.  The Palm Beach County school board is urged to move ahead with plans to create an all-boys middle school, reports the Palm Beach Post.

School administration. Pinellas Superintendent Mike Grego shuffles the team at the top. Gradebook.

School uniforms. The Volusia school board plans to again discuss the possibility - for students and teachers. Daytona Beach News Journal. (more…)

Virtual schools. Lawmakers open online learning to more providers, including private interests, reports the Miami Herald. StateImpact Florida and the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting obtain internal emails and a recording of a K12 Inc. company meeting that they say shed light on questionable company practices involving teachers who are not properly certified.

Struggling schools. The Broward school district will overhaul five struggling schools by closing some and revamping others, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Principals are key to turning around five struggling Pinellas schools, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Tutors. The Tampa Bay Times looks at the last-minute legislative scrap over whether to continue state-mandated tutoring for low-income kids.

Private schools. Voters in Palmetto Bay will get to vote on whether a local Montessori can expand. Miami Herald.

Rick Scott. Teacher pay raise tour comes to an end, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Will it get him any votes? asks the Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Teacher pay. Gov. Rick Scott embarks on his Teacher Pay Raise Pep Rally Tour. Coverage from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Florida Times Union, Associated Press, StateImpact Florida. Teachers are "fed up with being used as political pawns," says Pinellas teachers union president Kim Black in this Steve Bousquet piece.

Charter schools. Gradebook pulls up some stats before today's discussion about charter schools at the Pasco County School Board. An amendment to the charter school bill makes it easier for charter schools to fire teachers, Gradebook also reports.

School security. The elementary school principals in Hillsborough who have armed guards in their schools like them. Tampa Bay Times.

School discipline. Hillsborough needs to follow up on conversations to address high suspension rates for black males. Tampa Bay Times.

School spending. Freeze in financially troubled Manatee. Bradenton Herald. (more…)

Parent trigger. Citing anonymous sources, Sunshine State News says Gov. Rick Scott helped kill parent trigger. Five GOP senators tell The Buzz he had nothing to do with it. Arne Duncan sorta kinda maybe a wee little bit endorses the concept of parent trigger, notes This Week In Education. Parents would have been at the mercy of for-profit charters because "parents of students in failing schools don’t necessarily have the skill sets to develop corrective plans," writes Florida Voices columnist Rick Outzen.

Tutoring. Lawmakers, including Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, try but fail to keep the mandated program for low-income kids after all. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual schools. Florida Virtual School doesn't get as much as it expected due to funding changes. Times/Herald.

Turnaround schools. An attempt to restaff a struggling Pasco elementary school doesn't draw many applicants beyond existing teachers. Tampa Bay Times.

Private schools. A Christian school in Orlando plans to begin drug testing students. Orlando Sentinel.

Charter schools. The City of Cape Coral Charter School System has a new superintendent. Fort Myers News Press.

Teacher pay. Teachers won't have to wait for raises, reports the Tampa Bay Times and Tallahassee Democrat. Lawmakers ultimately do the right thing, writes the Tallahassee Democrat. (more…)