Charter schools. An all-boys charter is set to open next month in Bradenton. Bradenton Herald.

Teacher of the year. It's Dorina Sackman, an ESOL teacher at Westridge Middle School in Orange County. Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press. The Florida Times Union has coverage on finalist Apryl Shackelford from Duval; the Fort Myers News Press on finalist Patricia Gair from Lee; the Sarasota Herald Tribune on finalist Katrin Rudge from Sarasota County.

Ed reform. Lloyd Brown at Sunshine State News: "When public education was hijacked by liberals it began a downward spiral."

School grades. Tony Bennett might wait until next week to offer his take on possible revisions. Gradebook. Add the Tampa Tribune to the list of papers reporting on districts bracing for bad news.

School spending. Schools need more training and more central control to get a better handle on cash-handling problems, say members of a district auditing committee in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Post.

School discipline. Alachua school board members and others meet to discuss alternatives to out-of-school suspensions, which top more than 100 a year at some schools. Gainesville Sun. Three Pinellas teens are arrested for beating up a 13-year-old on a bus, reportedly breaking his arm. Tampa Tribune.

Cheating. A former teacher at a district-run charter in Miami-Dade makes the claim, leading to an investigation by district police. Miami Herald.

ESOL. The future is grim for ESOL students because of Florida's school accountability policies. Daniel Shoer Roth.

Bullying/cyberbullying. A Pasco student in a highly publicized case who beat up another on a school bus, while yet another filmed it, gets 270 days probation. Tampa Bay Times.

Superintendents. Joseph Joyner gets top ratings from the St. Johns County School Board. Florida Times Union.

Charter schools. The updated CREDO study isn't as flattering about charter school performance in Florida. Gradebook, SchoolZone, StateImpact Florida.

Virtual schools. Pasco sets up a summer program for its e-school so students don't take Florida Virtual School classes - and cost the district money in the process. Tampa Bay Times.

Private schools. The head of a high-end Tampa private school resigns after a rocky year. Tampa Bay Times.

Common Core. Could weed out some teachers. State Impact Florida. But will put teachers in the driver's seat. Eduwonk. Some Florida teachers see a juggling act between the new standards and current curriculum. Tampa Tribune.

ALEC. Progress Florida says the state's ed policy is run amok with ALEC. StateImpact Florida writes it up.

School grades. DOE appoints a task force to review grading policies before this year's grades are released. Gradebook.

School spending. Seminole plans to move ahead with a property tax increase. Orlando Sentinel. Lake decides against changing school start times to make up for a projected $16.3 million deficit. Orlando Sentinel. Lee aims to save $1 million a year under new Superintendent Nancy Graham's re-org. Fort Myers News Press, Naples Daily News. The Marion school board approves a staffing plan with 525 fewer positions. Ocala Star Banner.

School discipline. Black community leaders are concerned about high suspension rates for black students in Flagler. Daytona Beach News Journal.

Teacher merit pay. A judge denies FEA's request to reconsider his decision to throw out a lawsuit challenging the state's new merit pay law. South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Teachers. Badass Teachers Association says payback is coming. Orlando Sentinel.

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. Low grades create more teacher turnover, a teacher columnist argues. StateImpact Florida.

Turnaround schools. Pushback in Pasco yields some flexibility from the state. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools. The League of Women Voters ask questions in Polk. Lakeland Ledger.

Common Core. Administrators are training for Common Core too. StateImpact Florida.

GPAs. A proposed change in how they're calculated in Pasco stirs debate. Tampa Bay Times.

Principals. St. Lucie will have 13 new ones in August. TCPalm.com.

Superintendents. Duval board members evaluate Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, reports the Florida Times Union. Alachua Superintendent Dan Boyd wins the Florida School Boards Association's President's Award, reports the Gainesville Sun. New Lee Superintendent Nancy Graham starts shaking up administrative staff, reports the Fort Myers News Press. More from the Naples Daily News.

School safety. A third custodian is considered a suspect in the shooting deaths of two custodians at a West Palm Beach high school. Palm Beach Post.

School spending. A Marion school board member suggests some controversial cost-savings ideas to save teacher jobs, including having staff clean their own schools and either shutting down or charging students to attend IB programs. Ocala Star Banner.

Reading. More than 100 residents turn out to kick off a reading mentoring program for kids in Fort Meade. Lakeland Ledger.

Charter schools. A circuit judge denies a Pasco charter school's expansion plan. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual schools. A Fort Myers charter tells parents, wrongly, that they must pay $425 if their kids fail to complete Florida Virtual School classes. Associated Press.

Class size amendment. Students down, teachers up. Intercepts.

Ed schools. Florida State College at Jacksonville, one of five state schools rated substandard in NCTQ's new report, says the group got it wrong. StateImpact Florida.

Science. Florida should adopt science standards from California and/or Washington D.C. (and not the Next Generation Science Standards), says state Board of Education member John Padget. Gradebook.

Tech. Broward says it only has $16 million for $59 million worth of technology needs, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami-Dade adopts a $63 million plan to ensure every student has access to a digital device by 2015, reports the Miami Herald.

Teacher conduct. A Hernando teacher is suspended for 10 days without pay for allegedly yelling at a student for several minutes, making disparaging racial remarks and throwing a backpack at his chest, reports the Tampa Bay Times. A Venice charter school principal accused of intimidation and bullying has resigned, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Tutors. Alachua opts to stop giving low-income parents the ability to choose private tutors. Gainesville Sun. (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.

Summer school: Pinellas County school officials expect 8,500 students to participate in the Summer Bridge program. Tampa Tribune.

Budgets: The numbers aren't final, but the Collier County school district projects an $8.3 million shortfall while Lee County school officials expect to make $13 million to $15 million in cuts. Naples  Daily News. Baker County school officials blame a drop in enrollment for an estimated $1.3 million shortfall. Baker County Press. Flagler County school officials take another look for new ways to cut the budget after voters reject a tax hike. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Cell towers: Parents and teachers worried about the health and safety of students at Naples Park Elementary have started a petition against a cellphone tower on school grounds. Naples Daily News.

Fired: A Duval County paraprofessional is fired after an investigation found he forcibly removed a student from the school bus. Florida Times-Union.

Lawsuit: A parent is suing the Polk County school board, alleging that a science teacher slapped her son last year at a Lakeland elementary school. The Ledger.

Grads: High school graduation speeches deserve a lot of scrutiny, say principals and others. Tampa Bay Times. Friends since preschool, these two recent grads are headed to Harvard. Pensacola News Journal. (more…)

Common Core. A new Florida group calls the Common Core standards "monstrous." Daytona Beach News Journal.

Black males. An endangered species in Florida, given the Schott Foundation's calculation of grad rates. Politics365.

Vals and sals. Hernando school board members tell Superintendent Brian Blavatt to reinstate the designations. Tampa Bay Times.

Graduation. Remembering the ones who are gone. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher conduct. A Clay County teacher charged with child abuse enters a pre-trial diversionary program under a plea bargain, reports Florida Times Union. The Pasco principal accused of making anti-gay remarks is retiring, reports the Tampa Tribune. Polk is taking steps to fire a teacher who repeatedly lied about her health to avoid work, including claims of kidney stones, ovarian cysts and a brain condition, reports the Lakeland Ledger.

Teachers unions. Pasco union leader Lynne Webb says it's not the union's fault that contract negotiations have yet to begin. Gradebook. (more…)

Bang for the buck. Florida's education system gets a lot of it. Florida Watchdog.

Charter schools. Broward sees its eighth charter school close this year, raising questions about accountability, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Imagine charter schools network will close its struggling elementary school in Pinellas, but keep its middle school open, reports Gradebook. The C-rated Athenian Academy charter school in Pasco is suing the school district for barring its plans to grow enrollment, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Career education. A Pasco student in Wiregrass Ranch High's information technology career academy highlights the potential of choice and career education. Tampa Bay Times. The Tampa Tribune writes up the changes in graduation requirements that put more value on career education.

Dual enrollment. The Palm Beach County school district and Palm Beach State College are hoping to hash out an agreement over dual enrollment costs in the wake of a legislative change. Palm Beach Post.

FCAT. More results coming this week. Gradebook. (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…)