School choice success stories are everywhere.

Earlier this month, National Public Radio aired an episode of WHYY's Fresh Air, in which New York Times  Andes Bureau Chief Nicholas Casey talked about the collapse of oil prices in Venezuela, how Donald Trump resembles Hugo Chavez, and the time he spent embedded with Colombian FARC guerrillas.

The interview with host Terry Gross eventually turned to Casey's childhood, growing up in a mobile home in a working-class enclave of Northern California.

He said that, when he first enrolled in elementary school, his mother drove him to the best public school she could find. She later transferred him to a segregated school, where nearly all the children were black and Hispanic.

Later, he received a scholarship that may have changed the course of his life. (more…)

Florida's status. Matt Reed, Florida Today's editorial page editor, takes a look at NAEP data and the most recent Education Week Quality Counts report and concludes: "We obviously have room to improve. But our system is neither starving, as educators always say. Nor is it “broken” or “failing,” as reformers keep telling us."

Florida's status, Part II. Diane Ravitch's latest take, after quoting a Florida teacher at length: "There is no Florida miracle. Education has only gotten worse over the past few years, no matter how schools, districts and the state itself game the system. And, contrary to what the media will tell you, it is NOT teachers’ fault, unions’ fault, and I won’t even blame it on the kids or their parents this time. It is the fault of education “reform” led by Jeb Bush et al."

Charter schools. The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes up the bill that would require school districts to share unused or underused facilities with charter schools. Bad idea, editorializes the Palm Beach Post.

Gays and lesbians. The Lake County School Board considers rules that would keep a Gay-Straight Alliance from forming at a middle school. Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher evaluations. Tampa Bay Times on one impact (or not) of the new system in Hillsborough: "After years of planning and training, observation and deliberation, the first wave of firings has begun under a teaching-improvement project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The tally: Three teachers." (more…)