Private, charter growth: Private school enrollment is up 6.5 percent in Florida, the sixth straight year of growth, and now makes up 11.6 percent of all pre-K through 12th grade students. There are 368,321 school students at 2,663 private schools in the state, according to the annual report from the Florida Department of Education. Miami-Dade County has the most at 76,022. redefinED. Hillsborough County school officials expect 21,626 district students to attend charter schools in the next school year, an increase of about 22 percent. Charter students now make up about 10 percent of all students in Hillsborough. Gradebook.
Students sue district: Two former Miami-Dade County School District students are suing the district after they found their Social Security numbers and test scores on the district's website. District officials call the breach an isolated incident and say a forensic review is being conducted to find out where the information came from and whether it is authentic. Miami Herald.
District hires lobbyist: The Miami-Dade County School District hire Ballard Partners to lobby for the district's interests in Congress and several federal agencies. The contract is for three years at a rate of $108,000 a year. It's the first time since 2008 the district has had a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. “We’ve always had a very active presence at the federal level, but in light of the new players in the administration we felt it was prudent to seek assistance in being able to have additional access,” said Iraida Mendez-Cartaya, who runs the district’s office of intergovernmental affairs. Miami Herald.
Charter vendor arrested: Steven J. Kunkemoeller, charged with fraud and racketeering in connection with the operation of charter schools in Florida, is arrested in Pensacola. He operated two companies that allegedly sold school materials at inflated prices to Newpoint Education Partners. Newpoint founder Marcus May, who has also been charged with fraud and racketeering, has not yet turned himself in. Gradebook. An Escambia County commissioner accuses the school district of trying to hide misconduct at the counties' three Newpoint charter schools. Jeff Bergosh says for a year, district officials ignored complaints about grade-fixing, organized cheating and student safety issues. School officials dismiss Bergosh's allegations. Pensacola News Journal. (more…)
Fraud, racketeering charges: The founder of a charter school company is charged with racketeering and organized fraud in connection with the operation of his schools in the Pinellas, Escambia, Bay, Hillsborough, Broward and Duval districts. According to a statewide prosecutor, Marcus May, who founded Newpoint Education Partners, took more than $1 million from the state, the six districts and the 15 schools he owned and used it to take trips, have plastic surgery, and buy homes and personal watercraft. Also charged is Steven Kunkemoeller, who owns two companies that allegedly sold supplies and furniture to May's charter schools at inflated prices. The three companies also were indicted by an Escambia County grand jury a year ago on charges of grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white-collar crime. Tampa Bay Times. Panama City News Herald. Pensacola News Journal. Florida Times-Union. WJHG. WFLA.
More on H.B. 7069: One financial safeguard that was discussed early and often for inclusion in an education bill did not make it into H.B. 7069. There are no provisions to make sure that state funds for charter school construction aren't pocketed for profit by charter company owners. Instead, charter companies will automatically get a proportion of funds based on enrollment, not need. Gradebook. H.B. 7069, and its push for school choice and charter schools, is now the law of the state. But the debate about it hasn't ended. Critics of the bill say the "state-money-should-follow-the-student" catch-phrase many Republican legislators have adopted violates the state Constitution and a 2006 court precedent that outlawed state vouchers for private school tuition. Tampa Bay Times. Opponents of H.B. 7069 say they expect one or more districts to file a legal challenge to provisions of the bill. The Capitolist. Hillsborough County school officials should quit blaming the Legislature for their financial problems, says House Speaker Richard Corcoran. "It's their bloat, inefficiency and gross overspending. Their problem is their mismanagement." Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Districts cutting back: The Lee County School District's budget for next year calls for the elimination of about 55 jobs. Superintendent Greg Adkins says higher enrollment and stagnant funding, among other things, are forcing the district to tighten spending. Fort Myers News-Press. Hillsborough County School Board members begin consideration of a consultant's report that recommends the district shed more than 1,700 jobs. The report concluded that the district has about 1,000 teachers more than comparably sized school systems. Tampa Bay Times. Polk County School Board members are told that added costs and stagnant revenue will force the district to cut spending in some areas. Lakeland Ledger. The Bay County School District's preliminary budget forecasts a deficit of $5.6 million. Superintendent Bill Husfelt says the district will cut spending or tap its reserves to cover the difference. Panama City News Herald.
Teacher pay: Florida lags behind other states in pay for early childhood teachers, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education. The state’s child care and preschool teachers earn median salaries of $19,820 and $24,240, respectively, and many live below the poverty line. Politico Florida. AMIKids lost its contract with the Pasco County School District to teach 120 students with behavioral issues, and now its teachers are learning that they won't be paid the rest of the money they earned. Most teachers will lose almost $4,000, even though AMIKids received all its money from the district and other sources. "The money should be there," says teacher Christa Howell. "What are they doing with the additional funds?" Tampa Bay Times.
Bathroom rights: Several pastors warn the Hillsborough County School Board that if it allows students to choose which bathrooms to use and adds "gender expression" to a list of student protections, there will be repercussions at the polls. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter contracts: The former Newpoint Pinellas High gets a one-year extension of its charter from the Pinellas County School Board. The school will change its name to Pinellas Westcoast Academy High School, as it separates itself from its former operator, Newpoint Education Partners. Newpoint was indicted in Escambia County in May for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime. Gradebook. The First Coast Technical College board of directors vote to end the school’s charter and turn the school over to the St. Johns County School District. The school has had financial and management problems. St. Augustine Record. (more…)
School suspensions: Before this past school year started, Miami-Dade County School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that the district would eliminate out-of-school suspensions. It hasn't yet, but it has made significant headway, cutting those suspensions by 80 percent with a plan that includes in-class interventions focusing on at-risk students, changing the penalties for some infractions and training principals to change their approach to discipline. Miami Herald.
Charter schools: Parents of two charter schools facing termination reach out to Pinellas County School Superintendent Mike Grego with a proposal that Grego calls "reasonable." The deal would turn Windsor Preparatory Academy and East Windsor Middle Academy into magnet schools run by the district. The schools' board suggests staying in the current building, giving existing students a spot in the reconfigured schools, giving teachers first preference to be hired and keeping the board as advisers. The schools, which were run by the troubled Newpoint Education Partners, were given a notice of termination effective June 30. Gradebook.
Teacher bonuses: An administrative law judge rules that a Sarasota County school speech pathologist is eligible for the state's Best and Brightest teacher bonuses program. J. Bruce Culpepper says Cordelia Brown is an instructor at Brentwood Elementary School, and he interprets the state law to mean that all teachers are eligible. The district did not consider Brown to be a teacher. The recommendation now goes back to the Sarasota County School Board for a final decision. News Service of Florida. (more…)
Nonexistent loans: Two charters schools in Jacksonville have been paying interest to Newpoint Education Partners for loans that do not exist, according to a lawyer for the schools. San Jose Academy and San Jose Preparatory High School list loans totaling $235,000 made by Newpoint in 2014 and 2015. Gary Wheeler, the schools' attorney, says the boards never approved any loans. In Pinellas County, schools were paying back $1.8 million in loans that did not exist to Newpoint. And in Escambia County, Newpoint was indicted for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime. WFLA. The Pinellas County School District is considering absorbing two Newpoint Education Partners charter schools. The schools, Windsor Preparatory Academy and East Windsor Middle Academy, would become a "project-based learning lab environment" if the schools agree to terminate their charters. Both schools were given termination notices in May. Gradebook. WFLA.
Daily recess: The Seminole County School Board is expected to approve a mandatory 20-minute daily recess for all elementary students, starting next fall. The Seminole and Osceola districts are the only ones in Florida to do so, according to Heather Mellet, a Winter Park mother who is part of the Recess for All Florida Students group. Orlando Sentinel. State Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, is asking for a state review from the nonpartisan Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability of school districts’ recess policies. “Recess in our schools has been diminishing and students have been suffering,” she says. “This is detrimental to the development of our children.” A bill to make recess mandatory failed in the Legislature this year. Politico Florida.
One-room school closes: Florida's last one-room school has closed. Manatee County's Duette Elementary began in 1930. The district hopes to keep the school open as a destination for field trips. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
Lawsuit dismissed: Florida has not failed to fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students, a circuit court judge has ruled. Judge George Reynolds III dismissed the suit brought by Citizens for Strong Schools and others against the State Department of Education and legislative leaders. The plaintiffs charged that the state's racial achievement gap, emphasis on testing and lack of adequate funding kept the state from satisfying the terms of a 1998 constitutional amendment. Reynolds disagreed. "The weight of the evidence shows that the state has made education a top priority both in terms of implementation of research-based education policies and reforms, as well as education funding," he wrote. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Orlando Sentinel. Gainesville Sun. WFSU. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. redefinED.
Bush is back: Former presidential candidate Jeb Bush is elected chairman and president of the board of directors of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. He replaces Condoleezza Rice. Bush formed the foundation in 2007 after two terms as Florida governor. He suspended his presidential campaign three months ago. The Hill. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Politics. Sunshine State News.
Discrimination query: Federal grants are being withheld as the Polk County School District's harassment and discrimination policies are under review by the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice. School Board attorney Wes Bridges says the move is most likely tied to the Obama administration directive saying transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom of their gender identity. Lakeland Ledger.
Bathroom rights: The Obama administration directive on allowing transgender students to use the bathroom conforming to their gender identity could lead to a boom in school bathroom construction. In an email to his colleagues, Sumter County School Superintendent Richard Shirley wrote: "Students will be expected to use group restroom facilities based on their birth gender until necessary remodeling takes place to insure the safety, privacy and comfort of all students in single unisex restroom facilities." Gradebook.
District sex survey: Citing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases rates, the Hillsborough County School Board agrees to survey students about their sexual behavior. Parents can have their children opt out. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Reading scores up: Reading scores on the Florida Standards Assessments were up slightly for Florida's third-graders, according to the Florida Department of Education. Fifty-four percent of third graders tested at a satisfactory level, up from 53 percent last year. Satisfactory is considered a level 3 score on the five-level exam. Those who score below level 1 face retention. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Palm Beach Post. Pensacola News Journal. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Politico Florida. Sun-Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. Tallahassee Democrat. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Bathroom fight: The Florida ACLU sends a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart urging them to protect the rights of transgender students to use the bathrooms conforming to their gender identity. Florida Politics. Politico Florida. Scott and Bondi still have had little to say about the Obama administration directive. Orlando Weekly. The Marion County School District could lose $53 million in federal funding over the school board's decision to restrict transgender students' bathroom choices. Ocala Star Banner. The St. Johns County School District will continue to provide gender-neutral restroom facilities, says Superintendent Joseph Joyner. WJAX.
Teachers and force: The Pasco teachers union is reminding district administrators that state law allows teachers to use reasonable force when necessary to break up fights between students. After a recent fight at Ridgewood High School, a district spokesperson told a TV station that teachers shouldn't intervene in student fights. Gradebook.
Test retake: One hundred and fourteen Lake Nona High School students have to retake the Advanced Placement psychology exam today because of a "seating irregularity" when they took the test a few weeks ago. The rules call for the desks in the testing room to be 5 feet apart, and they were just 4 feet apart. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)
Bathroom fights: The Duval County School District, the school board and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti are being sued over the district's policy that permits children to use the bathrooms that conform to their gender identity. The suit was filed by Wes White, a Republican running for state attorney, on behalf of Wryshona Isaac and her four children. The suit says the policy "denies her children a safe and supportive environment.” Florida Times-Union. Florida Politics. Washington and Holmes counties school officials say they will not follow the Obama administration directive urging districts to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that conform to their gender identity. Panama City News Herald. The Collier County School Board is asking for input from the community to help set a bathroom policy for transgender students. All board members say the letter from the U.S. government was an "overreach." Naples Daily News.
Charters on notice: The Pinellas County School Board votes unanimously to cancel contracts with three Newpoint Education Partners charter schools in 90 days unless several financial and curriculum problems are corrected. Another charter school, Florida Virtual Academy, also was given notice because it has not met the requirements of a corrective action plan. The four schools have almost 1,000 students and collect $6 million in public money. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
School resegregation: The number of U.S. public schools that were both poor and racially segregated jumped from 7,009 in 2001 to 15,089 by 2013-2014, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. Los Angeles Times. Education Week.
Girls rule: For the first time, girls outscore boys on the National Assessment of Educational Progress national test of technology and engineering literacy among eighth-graders. Washington Post. THE Journal. (more…)
Computer science: The State Board of Education will vote Friday on adopting a set of academic standards for teaching computer science. The proposed standards have been developed over the past year. Computer science would become the fifth area of science with specific standards, joining nature of science, life science, Earth science and physical science. Gradebook.
Bathroom rights: Clay County School Superintendent Charlie Van Sant Jr. says his district will not comply with a federal directive to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. Florida Times-Union. Clermont pastor Christopher Walker has started an online petition protesting the bathroom directive. Daily Commercial.
Vote on charters: Newpoint Education Partners has reportedly forgiven millions in debt for three Pinellas County charter schools, and the board chairman has resigned. But the school board will still vote today on whether to give notice to close Windsor Preparatory Academy and East Windsor Middle Academy in St. Petersburg and Newpoint Pinellas Academy in Clearwater. Gradebook.
District criticized: The Palm Beach County teachers unions is criticizing School Superintendent Robert Avossa for not intervening sooner into problems at Palm Beach Lakes High School. Since November, several teachers have publicly condemned the principal, Cheryl McKeever, for creating a hostile work environment. Palm Beach Post. (more…)
High spending at charters: Troubling patterns emerge from a close look at spending at three charters in Pinellas County operated by Newpoint Education Partners. Invoices and other documents indicate the company was buying goods at often inflated prices from companies that were related to Newpoint and its founder, Marcus Nelson May. Records were loosely kept, and the company was taking a monthly fee that ran into five figures. Newpoint was indicted recently by an Escambia County jury on fraudulent billing and money-laundering charges. Tampa Bay Times.
Teachers to sue over pay: Three teachers have notified the Miami-Dade County School District that they intend to file a class action suit over performance pay. The teachers say the district is ignoring the state's performance pay laws and illegally changed the way tenured teachers are paid. Teachers have been shortchanged by $30 million, they allege. Miami Herald.
Retaliation lawsuit: A Palm Beach Lakes High teacher is suing the Palm Beach County School District after he and about 30 other teachers were fired in what he calls a retaliatory measure by Principal Cheryl McKeever. Malik Leigh, a legal studies teacher and also a practicing attorney, says the teachers were targeted because they made complaints about administrators or were thought to be disloyal to McKeever. Palm Beach Post.
Replacing teachers: The Pinellas County School District is moving quickly to replace teachers at five struggling schools in St. Petersburg. More than 80 teachers have been told they can't return to the schools or have asked for a transfer. And four of the five principals have been moved to other schools. The teachers union is calling the process "a hatchet job." Tampa Bay Times.
