State responds in suit: Lawyers for the state are urging the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss a case challenging the constitutionality of the way Florida funds its education system instead of sending it back to a lower court for further review. Last December, an appeals court decided that a trial court correctly ruled that the state constitution's requirement for a "high quality" and "efficient" public school system was political, and not measurable. In April, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case. Gradebook.

Closed board meetings: Since last year, the Lee County School Board has been holding meetings the public is not invited to after its regular board meetings. The meetings are considered critique sessions, and board attorney Keith Martin says members carefully avoid discussing any issues that could later be voted on. "There have been a couple of occasions where they have gotten close to that type of issue, and I have had to say, 'No, Sunshine Law. Get back to the proper discussions,' " says Martin. Barbara Petersen, president of the nonprofit Florida First Amendment Foundation, says these meetings might not technically violate state law, but they could cause a public perception problem. Fort Myers News-Press. (more…)

Teachers losing jobs: More than 900 Florida teachers - many of whom were rated effective on their evaluations - are out of a job because they couldn't pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exam. The exam, which includes a variety of subject area exams and general knowledge tests, was toughened three years ago and the number of teachers failing continues to rise, despite state officials' belief that scores will improve over time. The failures are putting a strain on districts that are already struggling to hire teachers. “Yes, these are good teachers," says Gail Williams, director of the Palm Beach County School District’s Department of Retention and Recruitment, about the 148 her district is losing. "It’s frustrating because we would have loved to have kept those teachers.” WFTS.

GOP backs Amendment 8: The Republican Party of Florida is donating $100,000 in support of constitutional Amendment 8, which would impose term limits on school board members, require civics education for all Florida students and allow entities other than local school boards to approve charter schools and other public education initiatives. The Florida League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center recently filed a lawsuit alleging that the proposal is misleading and is asking a court to remove the amendment from the ballot. News Service of Florida. The Sarasota County School Board squabbles over a resolution to oppose Amendment 8, eventually voting 3-2 in favor of it. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida League of Women Voters president Patricia Brigham talks about her group's lawsuit to try to have Amendment 8 removed from  the November ballot. Gradebook. (more…)