Stewart resigns: Pam Stewart, Florida's education commissioner, submits her resignation effective Jan. 8 as rumors swirl around Tallahassee that former House Speaker Richard Corcoran is Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis' choice to replace her. Stewart has been education commissioner since 2013. She announced last year that she would retire when Gov. Rick Scott left office. But two months ago, the Florida Board of Education asked her to stay another year and she agreed. Tuesday, in her resignation letter, Stewart wrote: "There has never been a better time to be a student in Florida, which makes it a good time to hand over the reins so that someone can take our students to the next level of opportunity and success." News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Florida Phoenix.

Superintendent selection: Manatee County School Board members are interested in erasing the word interim from the title of Superintendent Cynthia Saunders. They say they've been impressed with how Saunders has handled several crises since stepping in for the departed Diana Greene, and will draft a contract extension for her that they hope to vote on Dec. 11. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

by News Service of Florida staff

State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said Tuesday that she will be stepping down from her post on Jan. 8.

The decision, announced in a letter to state Board of Education members, marks a reversal from late October when Stewart reached agreement with the board to remain for another year.

“It is with bittersweet feelings that I submit my letter of resignation,” Stewart wrote.

Stewart, who has been commissioner since 2013, said she originally agreed to stay for another year in order to promote “a promising path to continuing achievement for our students” and to provide an orderly transition with the new governor.

“While those may have taken up to a year, in light of recent election results and announcements, it seems we have the capacity for both of these goals now,” she wrote. “Therefore, I am returning to my original plan of retiring effective Jan. 8.”

Stewart’s retirement marks the end of a 39-year career as an educator, where she served as a teacher, principal and administrator.

Marva Johnson, chairman of the state board, said Stewart “has dedicated her life to serving the people of Florida and ensuring that every student has the opportunity” to succeed. “Throughout her career, she has been a fearless champion for Florida’s students, and Florida is a national education leader due in large part to her service,” Johnson said in a statement.

The Board of Education, which is appointed by the governor, will select a new education commissioner. The Tampa Bay Times has reported that former House Speaker Richard Cocoran, R-Land O’Lakes, is a top contender for the job under incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Corcoran as commissioner? Republican Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis is reportedly considering appointing former House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, to be the next commissioner of education. The staunch school choice advocate would replace Pam Stewart, who had planned on retiring when Gov. Rick Scott left office in January but in October accepted a request by the Florida Board of Education to stay on another year. It's unknown what effect the potential appointment of Corcoran would have on Stewart continuing another year. Politico Florida.

Teachers and guns: The argument for arming teachers and school employees gained credence when the chairman of the panel investigating the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School suggested it should be reconsidered. Despite that, many teachers and school board members remain opposed and say only trained law enforcement officers should be carrying guns in schools. Tampa Bay Times. Some school safety experts question whether the recommendations of a federal commission looking into the school shooting will carry any more weight than they have in the past. Education Dive. (more…)

Education court challenge: Florida Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Thursday in a nearly 10-year-old case that claims the state's education system is inadequate and therefore a violation of 1998 constitutional amendment that calls for "uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of public schools.” A trial court and an appeals court have rejected the challenge. Now lawyers for the plaintiffs, Citizens for Strong Schools, want the case sent back to the trial court. “We had 670,000 children that are failing reading," said attorney Jodi Siegel. "So this is not a child or two. This is a systemic failure.” Rocco Testani, an attorney for the state, says the state has made significant improvements in the past 20 years. “It has been successful, it has worked,” he said of the public education system. “It is not a system that anyone should be concerned is broken.” The justices gave no indication when a decision might be issued, though they often take months. You can watch the arguments here. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. Orlando Sentinel. Politico Florida. WFSU.

Sharing with charters: Eight Florida school districts will be receiving an influx of revenue after voters approved sales tax or property tax increases. But will the district share any of it with charter schools? And if they do, how much? About half the districts say they will share, though they aren't saying how much. Charter officials believe their schools are entitled to some of the funds, since they're part of the public districts. They also worry that the proposed salary increases from the extra money will make it harder for them to compete for the services of good teachers. redefinED. (more…)

Another year for Stewart: The Florida Board of Education extends the contract of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart by a year to “help ensure Florida remains on this positive trajectory" of rising high school graduation rates, improved school grades and gains on national math and reading tests. She had been scheduled to leave the office she's held since 2013 on Jan. 7, Rick Scott's final day as governor. “Serving as education commissioner has been a highlight of my career, and I am honored to accept the state Board of Education’s invitation," Stewart said. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Capital Soup. The board selects 14 struggling schools as "Schools of Hope." Each receives an extra $2,000 per student to help improve student performance. Gradebook. Gary Chartrand concludes an eight-term term on the Florida Board of Education by praising the state's emphasis on parental choice of schools. "Choice is important," he said. "The more choice we have, the more freedom we have.” redefinED.

Evaluating evaluations: School principals say changes in teacher evaluations have overburdened them with work and hurt their relationships with teachers, according to a new study that focused on Hillsborough County and five other large U.S. school districts that underwent significant changes in the evaluation process. The biggest concern of principals is the time required for the evaluations. “I mean, honest to God. I just can’t do it by myself,” said one principal. “If I’m running my school, something’s going to lose out, either academics or your school because you’re just one person.” Another principal said just walking in a teacher's room creates tension. “I feel like every time I walk in, a teacher’s like automatically on pins and needles thinking I’m there in an evaluative capacity,” said the principal. Chalkbeat. (more…)

ESSA plan approved: Florida's plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act finally has won the approval of the U.S. Education Department. The state submitted five revisions of the accountability plan, including one this week, before Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gave her approval in a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. Florida had resisted some ESSA requirements, such as assessments of English language learners and math testing for advanced students in middle schools. Florida's was the last of the 50 states to have its plan approved. Gradebook. Education Week.

Medical marijuana: School boards in Orange, Volusia and Clay counties are moving forward with policies that will permit students with prescriptions to receive medical marijuana treatments at schools from parents or caregivers, but not school personnel. The Orange County School Board approved the policy this week, and the Clay and Volusia boards will take final vote in October and November, respectively. Broward and Santa Rosa counties have adopted similar policies. Orlando Sentinel. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Clay Today. Orlando Weekly. (more…)

Tax measures approved: Several school districts around the state asked voters Tuesday to approve tax increases for schools. Here are the results: More than 83 percent of Orange County voters approve a renewal of a special property tax to help pay for teacher raises and to maintain academic, arts and sports programs. Orlando Sentinel. Voters in Broward County approve a boost in property taxes for teacher raises of 6 percent, school security and counseling. Sun-Sentinel. Lake County voters okay a property tax hike for school security and mental health services. Daily Commercial. Marion County voters overwhelmingly renew a tax that will pay for school safety, educational programs and more teachers and staff. Ocala Star-Banner. Voters in Clay County agree to raise property taxes to help pay for school security. Florida Times-Union. WJXT. Martin County voters approve a half-mill increase in property taxes for teacher bonuses, and more school guards, mental-health services and professional development. TCPalm. Monroe County voters back a new property tax to pay for better security in schools. WLRN. A renewal of a half-cent sales tax for schools through 2030 is approved by Bay County voters. Panama City News Herald.

School board elections: School board elections also are held around the state. Some seats are won outright, while runoffs will be needed to decide others. One of the winners is Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa died in the Feb. 14 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. Other results: Miami-Dade County. Broward County. Palm Beach County. Orange County. Orange County School Board chair. Florida Times-Union. Hillsborough County District 1. Hillsborough District 2. Hillsborough District 4. Hillsborough District 6. Pinellas County District 2. Pinellas District 3. Pinellas District 6. Pinellas District 7. Seminole County. Lake County. Manatee County. Sarasota County. Collier County. Lee County. Charlotte County. Leon County. Alachua County. Marion County. Citrus County. Monroe County District 4. Volusia County. Flagler County. St. Johns County. Clay County. Martin County. Indian River County District 1. Indian River District 2. Indian River District 4. St. Lucie County District 1. St. Lucie District 3. St. Lucie District 5. Pasco County District 3. Pasco County District 5. Pasco County District 1. Polk County. Hernando County District 1. Hernando District 3. Hernando District 5. Brevard County. Escambia County. Santa Rosa County. Okaloosa County. Bay County. (more…)

Accountability plan: Florida is now the only state whose plan to meet the federal Every Student Succeeds Act standards has yet to be approved by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Last week DeVos gave the okay to California's and Utah's plans, but Florida's second attempt to comply is still pending. The last action came June 5, when the U.S. DOE said Florida "has not submitted a revised consolidated state plan that meets all the requirements of the ESSA and the McKinney-Vento Act." Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart has said the U.S. can't force the state to change its accountability system, and that many of ESSA's guidelines do not match Florida's philosophy. The state is resisting provisions to test students in languages other than English, and the demand for better detailing of demographic subgroup performances. Gradebook.

Acts of unexpected generosity: Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Jacksonville who overhear a 1st-grade teacher talking about the low-income students at her Illinois charter school donate $530 to help the students. Teacher Kimberly Bermudez, 27, says she was shocked by the generosity of the passengers -- and that they were carrying that much cash. Washington Post.

Image-sprucing move: The Broward County School District, hit with a barrage of bad news since the Parkland school shooting Feb. 14 that killed 17 people, is looking for a public relations boost by advertising for a chief public information officer who can “champion a favorable public image and brand for the district.” The job will pay between $104,836 and $174,870 a year. Sun-Sentinel.

School boycott urged: The secretary of education under President Obama again urges parents across the United States to boycott schools until they're safe. Arne Duncan tells parents in Parkland Tuesday that a boycott would force Congress to take action on gun reform. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)

Amendment 8 lawsuit: Amendment 8 is misleading and should be removed from the ballot, the League of Women Voters and the Southern Poverty Law Center argue in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Leon County. The lawsuit focuses on the part of the proposed amendment that would allow allow entities other than school boards to “operate, control, and supervise” public schools. “Voters will not recognize that the real purpose of the amendment is to allow unaccountable political appointees to control where and when charter schools can be established in their county,” says LWV president Patricia Brigham. The amendment would also limit school board members to eight years in office and require the teaching of civics in public schools. redefinED. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. GateHouse. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics. Politico Florida.

Charter school appeals: The Florida Charter Schools Appeal Commission is recommending that the state Board of Education override the Palm Beach County School Board's decision to deny two charter school applications. And Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is recommending the board go along with the appeal commission's advice when it meets next week. Charters that don't fill a specific niche have been getting turned down by the Palm Beach board for the past five years. But as Stewart points out in her memo to the state board, "The school board's determination must be based on good cause." Gradebook.

Union membership: Teachers unions in Orange, Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties say membership is on the upswing since the state passed a law requiring unions to have at least 50 percent membership of eligible workers or risk being decertified. Union officials in all four counties say the recent swell has pushed each past the 50 percent threshhold. Teachers unions in 13 districts have membership below 50 percent but most have been adding members, according to Joanne McCall, president of the statewide Florida Education Association. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

School tax hikes: Palm Beach County school leaders are considering giving charter schools a portion of the $150 million a year that would be generated if voters approve a property tax hike in November. Language that specifically excluded charter schools has been removed from the proposal, which the school board will consider today. The decision to cut charters in was made after legal action was threatened if they were excluded. Palm Beach Post. The Hillsborough County School Board agrees to ask voters to increase the sales tax to raise money for capital expenses. The request now goes to the state, which has to perform a financial audit. Superintendent Jeff Eakins also said he was looking into asking voters for a property tax hike, which could be used for teacher salaries and programs. Tampa Bay Times. Lake County commissioners approve a special school safety tax, which will be on the Aug. 28 ballot. Money generated would help pay for resource officers in all schools. Orlando Sentinel.

Science textbooks approved: The Collier County School Board approves the use of new science textbooks that were challenged by evolution and climate change skeptics. The vote was 3-2, with Erika Donalds and Kelly Lichter voting against using the recommended textbooks. Four people had lodged complaints against 220 items in 18 textbooks, alleging that they treat evolution and climate change as fact rather than theory. The new books will cost the district $1.7 million and will be handed out to students in August. Naples Daily News. (more…)