Traditional schools: Broward County revamps several struggling schools and sees a boost in technology use and enrollment. Sun Sentinel. Duval's superintendent tells residents that approval of a bond issue could result in students of the highest-poverty schools gaining wireless Internet and greater access to laptops and computers. Florida Times-Union. Five struggling schools in Pinellas County have made significant improvements during the year, the state Department of Education says, but they still aren't up to par. The Tampa Tribune. Hillsborough's schools security chief retires. The Tampa Tribune. Hernando County schools prioritize spending. Tampa Bay Times. Manatee County elementary students learn about energy conservation through a traveling theater program. Bradenton Herald.

Magnet schools: A Broward County middle school starts a pre-law program next school year that will offer a class to teach students how to argue. Sun Sentinel.

STEM: Students from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties compete in a Lego robotics contest. Palm Beach Post. 

Common Core: The Department of Education's effort to rename the Common Core State Standards does little to end Florida's education debate. Miami Herald. Teachers and principals adjust to the state's continual educational changes. Tampa Bay Times. The proposal deserves a fair hearing next month, writes the Tampa Bay Times.

MLK Day: Meet the man who helped integrate Sarasota High School. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Desegregation occurred slowly in Sarasota County. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Blake High student prepares to recite "I Have a Dream'' speech. The Tampa Tribune.

Smart Cities: Tom Vander Ark names Miami as one of the Smart Cities in his blog series that looks at what communities are doing right to improve education. Getting Smart.

Zero tolerance: New federal school-discipline guidelines for school districts released this month are desperately needed — and school districts must take the voluntary advice to heart, writes Darryl E. Owens for the Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Charter schools: The Legislature considers proposals that would make it easier for the nontraditional public schools to open and provide more oversight. Sun Sentinel. Renaissance Charter Inc., one of the largest charter school operators in the country, is growing in North Florida despite a mixed record of achievement. Florida Times-Union. Lawmakers look at changes to the charter school process, including state review of applications. The Tampa Tribune.

Magnet schools: Turning three Polk County schools into magnet schools next fall leaves some students traveling farther to a new school. The Ledger.

Same-sex schools: WLRN in Miami looks at the latest legislative proposal to create more single-gender classrooms in Florida.

Teachers: In a year when Florida's public school teachers are getting substantial raises, substitutes will see no bump in their paychecks. Orlando Sentinel.

School safety: St. Lucie County School District students will see new deputies in their schools, thanks to a national grant allowing the school resource officer program to expand. TC Palm. School mental health workers grapple with the best way to offer students such services in a patchwork, underfunded system. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Common Core: Republican Party of Florida activists vote  to oppose the Common Core education standards in a sign of growing anger over the national school benchmarks. News Service of Florida. Gov. Rick Scott says the state will unveil its revisions to the standards next week. News Service of Florida. More from The Florida Current.

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From the News Service of Florida:

ORLANDO - Looking to calm a rising furor in the grass roots of his party, Gov. Rick Scott said Saturday that a state set of revisions to nationwide education standards will be unveiled next week.

One day after a caucus of the Republican Party of Florida's state committeemen and committeewomen backed a resolution opposing the Common Core standards, Scott also said he would support legislation specifying that curriculum is a local responsibility and limiting what information can be gathered about students.

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said earlier this week that her department would propose about 40 changes to the voluminous education benchmarks. Scott's remarks Saturday, to the annual meeting of the state GOP, signaled that he hopes the changes will soothe conservative fears about the standards.

"Here's what we're going to ensure: These are Florida standards," he said. "They're not some national standards; they're going to be Florida standards. This is our state. We're not going to have the federal government telling us how to do our education system."

The overwhelming majority of the changes Stewart is set to propose would add material to the state's version of the standards, officials say.

Common Core started out as a joint project by officials in about four dozen states, but some conservatives have grown worried that the standards will instead lead to unprecedented federal intrusion in local schools. The opposition to the guidelines has opened a rift on the right between those arguing against the benchmarks and members of the school accountability movement, like former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who backs the standards.

On Saturday, Scott spoke about legislative proposals only in vague terms. He did not stop to answer questions despite shouted requests from reporters who jogged toward him as he left the Rosen Centre Hotel. (more…)

From the News Service of Florida:

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart faced tough questions from senators Wednesday as she outlined how the state would move forward on tweaks to its current schools standards and select a new test for students.

Speaking to the Senate Education Committee, Stewart tried to tamp down concerns that a quick timeline for having a new test in place for next school year could cause problems.

"We've put every precaution in place to ensure that we will have an assessment that is appropriate for Florida's students in the '14-'15 school year," Stewart said.

Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order in September requiring the state to end its role in helping handle the financial affairs of the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC. The state is currently reviewing five applications by testing companies hoping to develop a new test for Florida.

Stewart is scheduled to select the winner in March.

Despite talk that the state might ultimately end up using PARCC, Stewart said the multi-state consortium did not participate in the state's "invitation to negotiate" for the new test.

"PARCC did not apply," she said in response to a question from Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, about whether the test might still be used. "I would suggest to you ... it will depend on the five applications. It cannot be considered as part of the ITN."

Pressed by Montford again about whether Florida could ultimately end up using PARCC, Stewart cited legal restrictions on what she could and couldn't say.

"You have probably stepped into the arena of questions I could not answer," she responded.

Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, was more blunt while talking to reporters after the meeting, which Gaetz attended. (more…)

If Florida’s Catholic schools and their 84,000 students were part of a public school district, they’d be the ninth largest in the state. They’d generate scores of news stories every year. Have powerful interests battling on their behalf. Win praise for saving taxpayer money. But like other private schools, they're often out of sight, out of mind.

In Tallahassee Tuesday night, Florida’s Catholic school superintendents led a meet-and-greet with a handful of state lawmakers to send a polite but direct message: Don’t forget about us.

“The impact of Catholic education in our state can never be underestimated,” Bishop Gregory L. Parkes of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee told about 100 people gathered on the top floor of the Capitol.

Catholic schools have long enjoyed a reputation for serving low- and middle-income families and setting a high academic bar. For taxpayers, they offer financial benefits, too. Florida’s Catholic schools save the state at least $435 million every year, according to new calculations by the Florida Catholic Conference. That’s how much it would cost to educate Catholic school students in public schools, less the cost of publicly funded school choice programs.

Tuesday’s event, which included brief remarks by Gov. Rick Scott, was not a knock on public schools. (more…)

Career academy: Some Pasco County high school students will learn to fly drones when their school launches an aviation career academy in conjunction with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Tampa Tribune.

Charter schools: Pinellas County school board members approve the school district's first virtual charter school. The Tampa Tribune. Hillsborough school officials vote down a charter school for MacDill Air Force Base. redefinED. More from The Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times. The Hillsborough County School Board made the correct decision in denying an application for a charter school at MacDill Air Force Base, writes the Tampa Bay Times. As the Miami-Dade School Board looks to improve its grip on charter schools, a new national report shows that Florida’s network of independent schools is expanding faster than anywhere else in the U.S. Miami Herald. Orange County school district ties for 10th nationally for "highest growth" in charter school enrollment the past two years. Orlando Sentinel. School board members receive a recommendation to deny approval of the South Lee County Florida High School for Accelerated Learning, but they vote to wait another month on a final ruling. Naples Daily News.

District schools: To help compete with a growing array of school options, Broward County plans its first online technical high school, three new preK-8 schools, and an overhaul of six failing elementary schools. Sun Sentinel. Four struggling Lee County schools get an extended school day starting in the new year. Fort Myers News-Press.

Honors classes: Starting next school year, incoming freshmen in Pinellas County high schools may find that honors classes carry less weight for their GPA than AP, IB and dual-enrollment classes. The Tampa Tribune.

Teacher evals: Calls to push back the deadlines are getting louder. Tallahassee Democrat.

Common Core: The Pasco County school district plans a series of 13 community meetings to educate parents about the Common Core State Standards. The Tampa Tribune. (more…)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott praised the state’s Catholic schools Tuesday night, noting their recent enrollment gains and crediting them for providing high-quality academic and spiritual experiences.

“Both my daughters went to Catholic high school. They had a great experience,” Scott said. “And it was great because not only did they have a great education, but they were taught about Jesus Christ and about the importance of being saved.”

The governor’s brief remarks came during a meet-and-greet at the Capitol building in Tallahassee between the state’s seven Catholic school superintendents and a handful of lawmakers. About 100 people were in attendance.

Florida’s 235 Catholic schools enroll 85,000 students in PreK-12. After years of falling enrollment, they saw modest increases for the second year in a row this year, thanks in large part to growth in the state’s tax credit scholarship program. (The program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-co-hosts this blog.)

“So Catholic schools are clearly working,” Scott said.

He listed a handful of schools by name, including Bishop Moore High School in Orlando and St. Peter Claver Elementary in Tampa. He also noted he has three grandsons now, and there’s a good Catholic school near his daughter’s home. “So, I’m trying to be persuasive,” he said. But “at 31, they don’t listen quite as much.”

Charter schools: N.E.W. Generation Preparatory High School of Performing Arts in Broward County has until March to find a secure space to house its 200 students or close down. Sun Sentinel. The Schools of McKeel Academy will likely begin searching for a new leader after the first of the year. The Ledger.

Private schools: English students at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Brevard County take their Shakespeare discussion online with Twitter. Florida Today.

Common Core: Common standards are the best way to measure how well our students are ready to graduate and enter college, the military or the workforce, writes Tony Buntyn, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, for The Tampa Tribune. Florida won't participate in PARCC's field testing of its assessments come springtime. Tampa Bay Times. Yes, the Common Core State Standards are demanding, and they should be, writes Zachary Champagne for the Florida Times-Union. Florida is already headed in the right direction, but Common Core State Standards will continue to lead us to be the top academic state in the nation, writes Lucy Gosselin for Sunshine State News. Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) remain contenders for state testing. Sunshine State News.

Start times: Some of Florida's superintendents are worried about the potential effects of a proposal that high schools statewide be prohibited from starting earlier than 8 a.m. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay: Gov. Rick Scott again urges school districts to come through with the contract deals to make the raises reality. The Buzz. Twenty eight school districts have finalized teacher pay hikes, while another 15 have reached tentative agreements still awaiting a vote by school boards. Miami Herald.

PISA: Florida 15-year-olds who took international tests in math, reading and science last year did worse than other teens in the United States overall and far worse than teenagers in the world's top-performing education systems in Asia, scores released this morning showed. Orlando Sentinel. More from the Florida Times-Union. Locally, the results on the Program for International Student Assessment show the average Florida student scored about the same as the average U.S. student in science and reading. StateImpact Florida. (more…)

Charter schools: West Palm Beach city commissioners hear how Mosaica Education would run the first municipal charter school in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Post.

Religious schools: John Paul II Catholic High School partners with local priests for a basketball competition. Tallahassee Democrat.

Fed up: About 40 teachers and parents, called TNT, organize to promote a campaign of teaching not testing. Fort Myers News-Press.

Teachers: Gov. Scott recognizes five veterans, who are now  teachers. Pensacola News-Journal. Pinellas County Schools has paid another $275,000 to teachers and administrators at four middle schools as part of its teacher incentive fund grant. Tampa Bay Times.

School boards: April Griffin will not run for re-election to the Hillsborough County school board when her second term expires next year, and that’s too bad, writes Joe Henderson of The Tampa Tribune.

FEA: The Florida Education Association spends $15 million on political activities. Dropout Nation. (more…)

Charter schools: Hillsborough County's superintendent says she has reservations about Charter Schools USA's proposal to operate a school on MacDill Air Force Base. Tampa Bay Times.

Dual enrollment: School district leaders plan to fight new dual enrollment legislation that calls for districts to pay for college courses their students take. They also say that the funding change discourages them from promoting dual-enrollment options. Tampa Bay Times.

State grades: Florida school superintendents are asking state leaders to revamp the state’s A through F school grading system — including eliminating the letter grades. StateImpact Florida.

PARCC: Florida gives up its role as the fiscal agent for the PARCC testing consortium to Maryland. Tampa Bay Times. 

Graduation requirements: A new study says Florida's "standard" high school diploma doesn't meet the "college and career ready" benchmarks promised by Common Core and will leave students ill-prepared. Sun Sentinel.

Governor's race: St. Johns County school superintendent Joseph Joyner withdraws his name from Gov. Scott's short list of possible lieutenant governor candidates. The Buzz.

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