The new piece by Michelle Malkin on Jeb Bush, Tony Bennett and education reform in the Sunshine State is a touch heavy on hasty generalizations. The most jarring may be the way Malkin lumped Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007, in with the grading scandal in Indiana that embroiled the current Florida commissioner of education, Tony Bennett.

Malkin begins,

“[Bennett’s] disgraceful grade-fixing scandal is the perfect symbol of all that’s wrong with the federal education schemes peddled by Bennett and his mentor, former GOP governor Jeb Bush: phony academic standards, crony contracts, and big-government and big-business collusion masquerading as “reform.”

Tony Bennett was a strong supporter of school choice and common core. His resignation over issues related to A-F grading has now encouraged opportunists on the left and right to attack. Malkin begins her piece by lumping education policy together in one big pot and, without consideration, dismisses everything that was accomplished in Florida. Malkin didn’t take the time to separate out education policy in her hurried effort to attack Common Core.

And this is where Michelle Malkin is getting it wrong.

Malkin, in this respect, is following the approach of Diane Ravitch or Florida’s Fund Education Now organization. They tend to take advantage of any grading scandal to oppose and roll back A-F grading scales, accountability, teacher evaluations, and to besmirch the progress of any other reform attached to Bennett or Bush. Malkin is using this opportunity to attack Common Core, but her careless generalizations do more harm to the school choice and accountability movement.

Whether you agree or disagree with Common Core you simply cannot deny the strong growth in education achievement seen in Florida. Jeb Bush’s many reforms were a part of the growth. Denying that because you disagree with one unimplemented policy is irresponsible.

More on Tony Bennett: Two days of controversy seem to have taken a toll, with Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett expected to resign later today. Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, supporters and others are calling for more evidence in this latest school grade snafu: "What we have now is not “the rest of the story” but a failure to seek the rest of the story,'' writes Greg Forester on the Jay P. Greene blog. Bennett should request a broader set of emails to provide some context to this story, says Sherman Dorn. StateEdWatch and Dropout Nation raise more concerns. Bennett answers questions from Education Week's Rick Hess about the grade boost in Indiana. "It’s not that big of a deal,'' says Eduwonk, adding that calls for Florida's education commissioner to resign "pretty obviously overstate the issue.'' Fred Grimm from the Miami Herald writes: "Grown-ups might not buy Tony Bennett’s tortured explanation for jacking up that C grade to an A, but every school child in Florida understands the rationale.'' The Buzz reports that Democrats are lining up to call for Bennett's resignation. More here. And Beth Kassab from the Orlando Sentinel says, "Lots of headlines have portrayed this as Bennett doing a favor for a big donor. But that's not quite right.'' Even more from The Hechinger Report and New America Foundation.

Charter schools: Time is running out for a new Lauderdale Lakes charter school that has enrolled hundreds of students but still doesn't have an approved site for them to attend class. Sun Sentinel. Lake Wales High School, a conversion charter in Polk County, may have a waiting list for students. The Ledger.

Magnet schools: The Palm Beach County School District considers expanding art magnet programs to schools in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Sun Sentinel.

Debit cards: Gov. Rick Scott unveils debit cards that will allow teachers to buy tax-free supplies year-round. Sun Sentinel. (more…)

Tony Bennett: Fordham Institute's Michael Petrilli weighs in on the Florida education commissioner's decision a year ago to change an Indiana charter school's grade: "Bennett worked to fix the problem—not, I believe, because the school was connected to a donor, but because no one would trust an accountability system that labeled even excellent schools as worthy of C’s or worse.'' Flypaper. The Foundation for Florida's Future also throws its support behind Bennett, saying "he fixed a problem to be accurate and fair – any accusation otherwise is false and
politically motivated.'' Meanwhile, Bennett's successor, Glenda Ritz, issues a public statement saying she already had concerns about Indiana's A-F system and that the Associated Press report on the grade switch demonstrates the seriousness of the problems. It's a story that may linger into 2016, says the The Maddow Blog. Bennett tells reporters in a conference call Tuesday that the AP report will not affect his ability to serve as top education official. Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau.

Budget talks: The Broward County School Board's tentative $3 billion budget would give teachers $47 million in salaries, hire a dozen new school-based police officers and buy 100 new buses. Sun Sentinel. Orange County Public Schools has approved a tentative $1.8 billion budget - an increase of $150 million over the previous year. Orlando Sentinel. The Seminole County School Board moves to increase property taxes for a $735 million budget. Orlando Sentinel. The Polk County School Board gives initial approval to a $756.9 million budget. The Ledger. The Clay County School Board adopts a tentative $300 million budget. Florida Times-Union. The Duval County School Board OKs a $1.71 billion budget. Florida Times-Union. The Lee County School Board approves a tentative $1.29 billion budget — a decrease of about $37 million from the previous year. Fort Myers News-Press. Collier County school leaders vote to increase property taxes. Naples News. The Sarasota School Board voted to raise the property tax rates to help pay for teacher raises. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Hernando County School Board approves a $279.5 million tentative budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Pasco County School Board gives initial thumbs up to $1.05 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. Hernando County School Board members have asked the district to re-examine the $15 student activity fee that was designed to raise money during a time of shrinking budgets. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough County school leaders are still hashing out their proposed $2.8 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times.

Union talks: Palm Beach County teachers expect a raise this year, but just how much remains unclear. Palm Beach Post.

School grades: StateImpact Florida looks at which districts have the most safety net schools, noting the state average is 17.2 percent. The Florida-issued grades gives districts a chance to check the state's work. StateImpact Florida. Polk County schools Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy vows to turn around the district's six failing schools and save others on the brink of becoming low-performing schools. The Ledger. The Pensacola News-Journal takes issue with the grades in an editorial, saying, "Schools won’t improve until the state gets serious about funding education.'' Fallout continues with four Pasco County elementary schools avoiding "F'' grades only because of the state's safety net. Tampa Bay Times.

Do-over: 290 Escambia County students will repeat first grade. Pensacola News-Journal. (more…)

Hot seat: Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett faces hard questions about his role as Indiana's former education chief in a grade boost last fall for a charter school run by an influential Republican donor. Associated Press. In an interview with StateImpactIndiana, Bennett stands by his decision to raise the Indiana charter school's grade.

Longer days: The Pinellas County School Board will vote today on adding an extra hour of instruction for the district's seven schools that were among the lowest-performing in the state. The Tampa Tribune.

Cost-cutting: The Pasco County School District tells principals to use email, Twitter, Facebook and other online methods to communicate with parents to help cut costs. Tampa Bay Times.

STEM for teachers: New science teachers check out a satellite launch at Cape Canaveral with the National Association of Science Teachers and Lockheed Martin during a fellowship to help educators see real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and math. StateImpact Florida.

As they have in the past, Florida charter schools earned both A and F grades at higher rates than district schools this year, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Education.

According to our preliminary number crunching, 38 percent of the 340 elementary, middle and K-8 charter schools that received grades earned A’s, compared to 27 percent of 2,278 district schools. Meanwhile, 7 percent of charter schools earned F’s (24 total), compared to 4 percent of district schools (83 total).

High school grades won’t be released until later this year.

Schools in both the charter and traditional sectors earned fewer A’s and more F’s this year due to tougher accountability standards.

Charter school performance is under scrutiny in Florida, as it is in many states. Florida charters have higher rates of minority students than district schools (64 percent to 57 percent), but lower rates of low-income students (47 percent to 57 percent).

Studies have come to different conclusions about their performance. DOE numbers based on 2011-12 data show charter school students outperforming their district peers by most comparisons. On the other hand, a recent study by Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes, based on 2010-11 data, shows them on par with district peers in math but seven days behind in reading.

Charter to private: After continually receiving "F'' grades from the state, Escambia County's A.A. Dixon charter school opens next month as a private school in a new location. Pensacola News Journal.

Budgets: A Manatee County school official calls the district's budget process "excruciating'' as board members begin to review a 17-page proposal. Bradenton Herald. More on Manatee's budget, including indications that the board may lower the tax rate from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Pasco County School Board adopts a budget that includes a slight tax increase and $26 million in spending reductions. Tampa Bay Times. Broward County teachers will get raises in the district's $3 billion budget proposal that includes a small tax increase. Sun Sentinel.

Dress codes: Two more Pinellas County schools join the list that want modified dress codes for students to put the emphasis on academics. Tampa Bay Times.

GPAs: The Pasco County School Board adopts a new formula for figuring grade point averages that includes courses taken online and in middle school. Tampa Bay Times.

Conduct:  The Lee County school district investigation of former Chief Administrative Officer Alberto Rodriguez suggests he violated school board policy by misusing district phones, conducted personal business on school time and had an improper relationship with another district employee. Fort Myers News-Press. Another Lee County district investigation clears a teacher accused of striking a 10-year-old  student with special needs. Fort Myers News-Press. A controversial community organizer accused of trying to extort nearly $1 million and financial favors from Palm Beach County school district officials asks for a new lawyer. Palm Beach Post.

Back to school: The Florida Retail Federation anticipates the state will buck the national trend, with shoppers here spending more for back-to-school supplies. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

TV class: A TV and film program at Pine Crest, a private school in Fort Lauderdale, now has its own $750,000 on-campus production studio where students will learn to report, produce and edit stories. Sun Sentinel.

Mentors: Leon County is looking for 500 new school mentors. Tallahassee Democrat.

Tony: Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett talks to Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers about Common Core, school grades and the role of organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters in education. TCPalm.

Summer school: A mobile media center bus provides books for Polk County students to keep them learning year-round. The Ledger.

On a mission: Jesuit High School students travel to South America on a journey to share their faith. Tampa Bay Times.

Accountability: A look at why the accountability piece in former Gov. Jeb Bush's overall education program seems to be eroding. The Cato Institute. State education officials stall on a records request for a  school-by-school breakdown of school grades that would show how each school fared under the original grading formula. Tampa Bay Times. Duval County School Board members criticize Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's projections for student growth. Florida Times-Union.

Budgets: The Escambia County School Board adopts a tentative $553 million budget and sets the millage rate. Pensacola News Journal. The Polk County School Board sets its first public hearing for the $754.9 million budget at month's end. The Ledger. Sarasota County property taxes are set to rise to help with increased school costs. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons unveils a $281-million spending plan. Tallahassee Democrat.

Common Core: Florida education leaders look at creating the state's own Common Core State Standards tests. The News Service of Florida. Duval County teachers prepare for the new standards. Florida Times-Union. Five Florida Republican leaders ask GOP members to support the new Common Core State Standards. StateImpact.

Teacher pay: Collier County teachers gather to plan their next move following the school board's decision to freeze salary increases. Naples Daily News.

Safety: Collier County school officials call a recent bus accident that injured a student a tragedy, but say the district's transportation system is regularly reviewed for safety. Naples Daily News. New gates and fences are going up at some Hillsborough County schools that officials deemed too accessible. Tampa Bay Times. Sarasota County schools cut back on police resource officers due to finances. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Teacher conduct: Four teachers from Broward and Palm Beach counties lose their licenses for misconduct ranging from bank fraud to child abuse. Sun Sentinel.

Back-to-school: The Florida Department of Health is offering Broward County students free immunizations. Sun Sentinel. Target and The Salvation Army team up to outfit students for school. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

Charter schools. Pasco's Dayspring Academy, where state Sen. John Legg is an administrator, puts off expansion plans for a year. Gradebook. An F-rated charter in Flagler shows improvement. Daytona Beach News Journal.

Magnet schools. The Palm Beach County district considers two arts magnets for the south end of the district. Palm Beach Post.

Testing. Whatever replaces the FCAT as Florida moves to Common Core standards must allow us to compare Florida to the highest performing states, writes Jeb Bush in an op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times.

Grading. Orange high schools are moving to a grading system where 50 is the floor, not zero. Orlando Sentinel.

Common Core. Thousands of South Florida teachers and principals prepare for the all-grades rollout this fall. Palm Beach Post. "Some" Central Florida parents don't like it. Orlando Sentinel.

Parental involvement. A prestigious Palm Beach County magnet is one of 10 schools statewide to be recognized by the Florida Department of Education. Extra Credit.

Parent power. The Tampa Bay Times writes up the new state law that gives parents of disabled students more say over their kids' IEPs. So does the Fort Myers News Press.

School grades. A Jeb Bush-Rick Scott split? Tampa Bay Times. So much for accountability in education. Answer Sheet. The system is a disaster, writes Fund Education Now co-founder Kathleen Oropeza in an op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times. The Daytona Beach News Journal writes up the recent BOE decision on the safety net. (more…)

Charter schools are among those supporting a tense Board of Education decision this week that prevents state grades for public schools from dropping more than one letter.

But some of them worry the move might add to the confusion parents and others already have about Florida’s A through F grading system – and erode public confidence in it.

“I think it becomes confusing to parents when the state says it wants to move forward with higher standards and wants them to be more rigorous, and then makes a safety net’’ when those standards aren’t met, said Cynthia Adversa, principal of Indian River Charter High School in Vero Beach, which is a member of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools.

Teachers and students worked hard to meet those expectations, said Daviem Dina Miller, who heads Somerset Academy in Davie. So when some schools that didn’t hit the mark still benefit from a higher grade, “I think a lot of parents would question that.’’

At the same time, both women say giving schools more time to adjust to changes in the grading system is the right thing to do – especially when so much rides on the grades. Both of their schools are A-rated.

“It’s hard to be under that microscope,’’ said Miller, noting grades are tied to financial incentives for schools and teachers as well as public perception. “The grades affect your reputation.’’ (more…)

Charter schools. A new charter school began readying a building for use before checking with the city of Lauderdale Lakes, which doesn't want a school on the site and is in the process of rezoning it. South Florida Sun Sentinel. Let's strive for good schools, charter or traditional, and either improve or shut down those that aren't cutting it, writes charter school supporter Tom Watkins in the Miami Herald. The principal of a district-run charter in Miami-Dade strongly denies a former employee's allegations of cheating. Miami Herald. A new charter school in Fort Myers will focus on career education. Fort Myers News Press.

Rick Scott. Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, D-Maitland, tells the governor he should take the Republican Party of Florida to task for using teachers - who were praising him - in a political video without their permission. The Buzz.

Stand Your Ground. South Florida Sun Sentinel: "A middle school student who got into a fistfight with a girl on a Broward County school bus should have been allowed to use the Stand Your Ground law to defend his actions, an appeals court ruled Wednesday."

School grades. ExtraCredit catches up on the DOE simulation showing falling grades. Too-frequent changes are taking their toll. Tallahassee Democrat. The state Board of Education decision was a battle over competing hoaxes. Palm Beach Post.

Teacher conduct. Newsome High School teacher in Tampa is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography. Tampa Tribune. From the Sarasota Herald Tribune: "Four school administrators facing allegations of failure to report child abuse and a football coach who has been accused of groping a teenager could face further scrutiny — regardless of whether law enforcement chooses to prosecute them." More from the Bradenton Herald. (more…)