Opening addresses: The governor, speaker of the House and president of the Senate all outline their goals for the 2018 legislative session, which began Tuesday. Gov. Rick Scott makes a pitch for his $87.4 billion budget, which includes raising more money for K-12 spending by allowing rising property values to boost tax revenues. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Palm Beach Post. Politico Florida. Associated Press. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, takes direct aim at Scott's property tax plan, saying the House won't allow taxes to go up directly or indirectly. "We have taken this moral high ground, and we will not give it up," he says. Corcoran also vows to protect bullied students by offering them state scholarships to switch schools. Gradebook. Sunshine State News. WFSU. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Politico Florida. WLRN. Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says he wants to expand Bright Futures scholarships for college students and K-12 school choice, address the opioid crisis and crack down on sexual harassment. Tampa Bay Times. Sunshine State News.
School choice bills: There are at least 10 school choice-related bills to watch as the Legislature begins its 60-day session. Among them are the scholarships for bullied students, an easing of state requirements for homeschooled children, expansion of a personalized learning program, and more access for special-needs students to use the state's McKay Scholarships. redefinED.
Homeschool bill moving: The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee unanimously approves a bill that would limit the authority local school districts exercise on homeschooled students, and increase those students' access to dual enrollment and career education courses. The bill now heads to the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee. redefinED. Gradebook. Politico Florida.
School grades: More Florida schools received grades of A and B from the state this year and fewer received an F grade, according to the annual report from the Florida Department of Education. Fifty-seven percent of schools received an A or B this year, up from 46 percent in 2016. The number of F schools declined from 111 last year to 43 this year. With the improved school grades came better grades for districts. Forty-eight of Florida's 67 school districts earned A or B grades this year, up from 38 last year, and 11 earned A's: Brevard, Collier, Gilchrist, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, St. Johns, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole and Wakulla. Fifty districts have no F schools. Florida Department of Education. Associated Press. Sunshine State News. Gradebook. Politico Florida.
District reports: Reports from around the state on grades for school districts and schools. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP. WFLA. Patch. WUSF. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. WFTV. WESH. WKMG. Palm Beach Post. WPTV. WFLX. Sun Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. WTLV. WJAX. WJXT. Florida Today. Space Coast Daily. TCPalm. TCPalm. TCPalm. TCPalm. Tallahassee Democrat. WCTV. WTXL. Lakeland Ledger. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. WWSB. Bradenton Herald. Charlotte Sun. Fort Myers News-Press. WINK. WFTX. Naples Daily News. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Flagler Live. Pensacola News Journal. Panama City News Herald. WMBB. Pulse. Daily Commercial. Orlando Sentinel. Daily Commercial.
Charter schools reports: Six Florida charter schools face closure after receiving F grades from the state for a second straight year, while several other charter schools serving low-income students earn A's or B's. redefinED. Villages-News.
Bathroom use lawsuit: A transgender student in St. Johns County is suing in federal court for the right to use the boys bathroom at Nease High School. Drew Adams, a 16-year-old junior, was told by school officials in 2015 to use a gender-neutral bathroom instead of the boys bathroom. In his suit, he says that request is a violation of his 14th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. Florida Times-Union. St. Augustine Record. WJAX. Associated Press. Patch. (more…)
Religious schools and vouchers: Two U.S. Supreme Court decisions this week could have implications for the constitutionality of vouchers for religious institutions. Monday, the court ruled that Missouri could not exclude private religious schools from a playground grant program. Tuesday, the court ordered the Colorado Supreme Court to reconsider a decision that the state's Blaine Amendment prohibits public funding of religious institutions. redefinED. Education Week. Associated Press.
Voucher studies: Long-term studies in Louisiana and Indiana show that former public school students who keep private school vouchers for several years eventually catch up and sometimes pass their peers in reading and math tests. Earlier, shorter-term studies have shown that those students tend to lag behind their public school peers. redefinED.
Immunizations upheld: Parochial schools can require students to get immunizations to be admitted, the First District Court of Appeal rules. A parent filed the appeal after the Holy Spirit School in Jacksonville refused to admit his child without immunizations. News Service of Florida.
Teaching bonuses: The Manatee School for the Arts is offering bonuses of up to $3,000 fill two 6th-grade math teaching positions, plus higher than expected salaries. The district has sent recruitment letters to the most highly rated math teachers in school districts around the state. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
