Schools in Miami, Tarpon Springs, and Jacksonville were among the twelve Florida classrooms designated National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education this year.
Twelve Florida schools were recognized Monday as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.
More than half are schools of choice: four are magnet schools and three are charter schools.
The awards are made in two categories: either on a school’s progress in closing achievement gaps for disadvantaged students or for high overall student achievement measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
The four magnet schools in Florida designated as exemplary high-performing for 2018 are: George Washington Carver Middle School and Herbert Ammons Middle School, both in Miami; Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School in Tarpon Springs; and Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville.
The three charter schools also named exemplary high-performing are: Archimedean Upper Conservatory in Miami; Pensacola Beach Elementary in Pensacola; and Somerset Academy Elementary in Miramar.
In total, 349 schools throughout the country were designated National Blue Ribbon Schools for this year. The federal program has recognized 8,800 schools in the past 36 years. Last year, all 12 Florida blue ribbon schools were schools of choice.
The number of magnet schools continues to grow in Florida. The Sunshine State leads the nation with 536.
The U.S. Department of Education released new statistics showing Florida with 32 more magnet schools than the state of California. Michigan comes in third with 386 magnet schools. As a percentage of public schools, Florida also comes out on top, trailed by Michigan. The statistics in the report show the different types of public schools in the United States.
Magnet schools are more ethnically and racially diverse than traditional public schools and they enroll a larger percentage of low-income students. The school's curriculum centers on specific educational themes such as the performing arts and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“I think what is important to recognize with magnet schools, especially when you consider Florida, is they are a form of public school choice that are being used to meet the demand of the communities they serve,” said John Laughner, legislative communication manager for the Magnet Schools of America. "They continue to be a form of school choice that is designed to promote school integration." (more…)
Tax credit scholarships. The Florida teachers union may have cost Democrat Charlie Crist the governor's race by filing suit against the tax credit scholarship program and alienating black voters, writes Lloyd Brown at Sunshine State News. (The school choice program is administered by nonprofits such as Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
Magnet schools. Pasco begins taking applications Dec. 1 for its first magnet school. Gradebook.
Charter schools. Nearly 50 have shut down in South Florida in the past five years. NBC 6.
Testing. State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, files a bill to limit to 10 the number of days districts can set aside for standardized testing. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A former high school band director in Osceola is arrested for reportedly having sexual relationships with two students. Orlando Sentinel.
Campus crime. A second Sarasota County student is arrested for operating a prostitution ring involving students. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Students with disabilities. River Ridge High in Pasco offers a club that fosters friendships between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Tampa Bay Times.
Science. Middle school students in Miami-Dade show off science and innovation skills by designing new shoes. Miami Herald.
Middle schools. Duval looks for ways to boost the performance of its middle school students, among the most struggling in the state. Florida Times Union.
Charter schools. The Naples Daily News takes a closer look at the 269 charter schools that have closed since Florida opened the door to charters in 1996. The Associated Press picks up the story.
Magnet schools. It's time for action on poor-performing charter schools in the Broward County School District. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Career academies. The Lee County School District will beef up its career education programs under a partnership with Ford Motor Company's Next Generation Learning program. Fort Myers News Press.
School choice. Pinellas public school enrollment increases for the first time in a decade, as charter schools gain more ground and the district, after adding new choice programs, mitigates its losses. Tampa Bay Times. (Enrollment is up in the Leon County School District too. Tallahassee Democrat.)
Crist v. Scott. The Wall Street Journal rips into Charlie Crist for not denouncing the suit to kill the tax credit scholarships. By not denouncing the suit, Charlie Crist may have alienated black voters and cost himself the election. Tampa Tribune. Both pro- and anti- school choice forces are making big contributions. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
More school choice politics? The state NAACP moves to shut down the St. Petersburg branch, headed by Rev. Manuel Sykes, who happens to be at odds with the state chapter over school choice. Tampa Bay Times.
Standardized testing. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano says there's too much of it. So do some teachers and parents in Brevard. Florida Today. Despite testing angst, the Lee County School District continues to roll out the new state standards. Fort Myers News Press.
Common Core. A look at how it is changing kindergarten. Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Parents. The Alachua County School District wants to see more dads involved in their kids' education. Gainesville Sun. (more…)
Tax credit scholarships. Charlie Crist, a staunch supporter of tax credit scholarships in the past, won't denounce the lawsuit filed by the FSBA and FEA to end the program. Miami Herald. The head of the Florida Association of School Administrators explains his support for the suit. Crestview News Bulletin (Hat tip: Gradebook).
School choice. A 'bumper crop of litigation' threatens school choice in Florida. Watchdog.org.
Charter schools. The West Palm Beach mayor and Palm Beach County superintendent will meet to discuss a proposed city-run charter school. Palm Beach Post.
Magnet schools. The Pasco County School District will open its first in 2015, in part to ease overcrowding concerns at other schools. Gradebook.
Virtual school. Florida Virtual School snags an area superintendent from the Orange County School District to be its COO. SchoolZone.
Single-gender classrooms. Ones in the Broward County School District are among those targeted in an ACLU complaint. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Parents. Dads march in Daytona to show support for their children's education. Daytona Beach News Journal.
Testing. The Palm Beach County School Board opts not to opt out. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Support grows for an Alachua County kindergarten teacher who refuses to administer a standardized test used for diagnostic purposes. Gainesville Sun.
School boards. A new report looks at how much board members are paid, county by county. Gradebook. (more…)
School choice. Add Voices for Choices to the list of school choice groups in Florida. redefinED. Duval County School District leaders propose a "Public Education Strong" marketing campaign to lure students back from charter and private schools. Florida Times Union. Sunshine State News's Nancy Smith says women are waiting to hear what Charlie Crist's position is on vouchers.
Magnet schools. The Broward County School District looks for ways to improve five F-rated magnet schools. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools. The Palm Beach County Commission approves a $20 million financing deal for a new charter school. South Florida Sun Sentinel. The St. Johns County School Board considers a couple of applications. St. Augustine Record.
Teachers unions. More about new NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, who visited South Florida last week. StateImpact Florida. Charlie Crist gets big money from the NEA. The Buzz.'
Technology. Low-income kids in the Pinellas County School District who were given laptops to take home last year outscore their peers without them. Gradebook.
Lawsuits. Members of the Bay County School Board, concerned about unfunded mandates, say they are considering joining the education funding/adequacy suit filed in 2009 by Fund Education Now and others. WJHG.
School spending. A school board member in the Manatee County School District raises concerns about the district's request for proposal regarding the hiring of security guards for elementary schools. Bradenton Herald. (Follow-up story here.) The Pinellas County School Board approves a $1.3 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Hillsborough County School Board approves a $2.9 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Marion County School Board approves a $475 million budget. Ocala Star Banner. The Leon County School Board approves a $530 million budget. Tallahassee Democrat. Guest columnists ask voters in Palm Beach County to reauthorize a property tax hike for education. Palm Beach Post.
Standardized testing. Complaints about a "toxic culture of testing" surface at a Brevard County School Board meeting. Florida Today. The Lee County School Board considers searching for ways to mitigate what it says is too much high-stakes testing. Fort Myers News Press. An Alachua County kindergarten teacher refuses to give her students standardized tests that are used for diagnostic purposes, putting her job at risk. Gainesville Sun.
Florida won’t pay a school to NOT educate a student. I’ll put that another way: the state doesn’t pay for students to not attend a school.
It is a simple and intuitive fact, yet some Floridians – many happen to be parental choice critics – don’t seem to get it.
For 41 years, the Florida Legislature has funded education with a formula based specifically on the cost to educate each student. The just-approved 2014-15 spending plan is no different: It determines the average student will cost $6,937 to educate, multiplies that amount by a projected enrollment of 2,722,134 and arrives at a bottom line of $18.9 billion. Each district is paid accordingly.
Not surprisingly, this means the state won’t pay a school for students educated somewhere else. But look at the responses from Floridians concerned about the newer private options available to lower-income and special needs students:
(As we always note, the scholarship program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.)
Opposing one type of school choice program because it “diverted” money, takes “tax dollars out,” or leaves public schools with “fewer resources” requires critics to ignore the state’s method of funding K-12 education. (more…)
School choice. Democratic contender Nan Rich blasts both Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist for supporting vouchers. Sunshine State News.
Charter schools. A bill encouraging collaboration on charter schools at military bases heads to Gov. Rick Scott, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The governor says he'll sign in it. News Service of Florida. More from the Tampa Tribune. A charter-school students wins Broward County's spelling bee. Miami Herald.
Magnet Schools. The Pinellas County School Board approved two new magnet schools focused on technology. Tampa Bay Times.
School technology. Collier County schools officials revisit their policy allowing students to bring their own devices. Naples Daily News.
Testing. A discussion about the FCAT replacement, whatever that might be. StateImpact Florida. Orange County officials worry whether they'll be ready for the new tests in time. Orlando Sentinel.
Construction funding. Polk County school district officials fear a $238 million funding gap for school facilities. Lakeland Ledger.
School safety. The gun bill is back, and gaining traction. Extra Credit. A Broward student is charged for bringing an AR-15 rifle near a high school campus. Sun-Sentinel.
Common Core. The Brevard County School Board adopts new textbooks intended to align with the state's new standards. Florida Today.
School boards. The Manatee school board votes unanimously to request that the Inspector General investigate possibly malfeasance by board members between 2010 and 2012. Bradenton Herald. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Teacher pay. Dozens of Orange County teachers rally for raises. Orlando Sentinel.
Charter schools: The Pasco County School Board approves a 15-year contract for Pepin Academies, which caters to students with learning disabilities. Tampa Bay Times. Dayspring Academy, Pasco County’s first charter school, plans to add a ninth-grade class in the 2014-15 school. Tampa Bay Times.
Religious schools: A student at Citrus Park Christian School in Hillsborough County takes her ailment and uses it to focus on a medical career. The Tampa Tribune.
Gender specific: A proposal to create more gender-specific district schools sails through the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee. redefinED.
Career readiness: Manatee County School District works with community business leaders to step up high school career readiness programs. Bradenton Herald.
Rick Scott: School superintendents from across the state tell Gov. Scott that even with his proposed boost in education spending, they still can't afford to pay for maintenance, new school buses, security upgrades and the technology needed to administer computer-based tests. The Buzz. More from the Florida Times-Union. (more…)
School choice: Expect debates on vouchers, school grades and charter schools this year as legislators set priorities for the upcoming session. The Buzz. Lawmakers propose legislation affecting public schools, from an overhaul of Florida’s school accountability system to a “massive expansion” of school-choice and career-education programs. Tallahassee Democrat. More from The Florida Current. More than 3,000 parents and prospective students crowd into the Bradenton Area Convention Center for Manatee County School District's first school choice fair. Bradenton Herald.
Charter schools: The Charter School Appeals Commission recommends the state Board of Education turn down a Lakeland group's proposal for a charter school. The Ledger. Former Gov. Jeb Bush tours the Latin Builders Association Construction & Business Management Academy Charter High School as part of National School Choice Week. Local10.com
Virtual schools: Mom Heather Tempesta lets her daughter try Florida Virtual School after all. Tampa Bay Times.
Magnet schools: Manatee School for the Arts student and teacher get to spend D-Day at Normandy. Bradenton Herald.
Education budget: Orange County school leaders say Gov. Rick Scott's budget proposal isn't as generous as it seems. Orlando Sentinel. Much of Scott's proposed education spending boost would come from property taxes. The Buzz.
Governor's race: Seventy-one percent of Washington insiders surveyed in January think that the Florida gubernatorial race is the most important one to watch for education. Education Week.
