Charter district: The Jefferson County School Board agrees to turn over operations of the district's struggling schools to the charter school company Somerset Academy. The proposed deal will be taken to the Florida Board of Education today for approval. If the deal is approved, Jefferson would become the first charter district in the state. In its application, Somerset said it will operate an elementary, middle and high school on a single campus led by a single principal, bring in a rigorous curriculum, including Advanced Placement classes, pay teachers 7 percent more than they can get in surrounding counties, pay competitive benefits, and work to bring students attending the alternative school back into the traditional schools. redefinED. WFSU.

Testing debate: The debate over the state's standardized testing intensifies at a Senate Education Committee meeting Tuesday. Supporters of former Gov. Jeb Bush are backing a moderate revision of the current system, while others want more significant changes, including fewer tests. Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, who is leading the committee in the medical absence of Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, said no decision has been made on what direction the bills will take, and that Hukill will make that call. News Service of Florida.

Help for home-schoolers: Students who are home-schooled would have greater access to college classes and career education courses offered by school districts in a bill approved by the House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee. Districts also would be required to accept home-education registrations as long as parents and their children meet the state's requirements. redefinED.

Religious expression bill: The Florida Senate moves the so-called "religious expression" bill to a third and final reading. If approved, the bill would be sent to the House, which has a slightly different version. The bill would give students more freedom to express religious thoughts in public schools. Gradebook. News Service of Florida. (more…)

Financial literacy: Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, files a bill that would require students to take a half-credit course of financial literacy in order to graduate from Florida high schools. She's been trying to get this bill passed since 2014. Hukill is the new chairwoman of the Senate Education policy committee. Gradebook.

Religion in schools: State Rep. Kim Daniels, D-Jacksonville, files a bill that would prohibit school districts “from discriminating against students, parents, and school personnel on basis of religious viewpoints or expression,” would require a school district to "treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner that the school district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular viewpoint” and would allow students to wear clothing, jewelry or accessories with a religious message. Florida Politics.

DeVos protest: Teachers in several areas of Florida join a national protest against Betsy DeVos, the nominee to become U.S. secretary of education, and for public schools. Similar rallies were held in at least 25 states. Protesters worry that DeVos will emphasize school choice, and especially charter schools, at the expense of public schools. WKMG. Miami Herald. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

School start times: Start high school later in the day, says a majority of the 30,000 people in Orange County who took a district survey. Students, their parents, employees and others were asked to choose from three options: keep start times the same, start 20 minutes later than the current times that range from 7:10 to 7:30 a.m., and start no earlier than 8 a.m. School board members, who caution that changing schedules is complicated, will discuss the survey Thursday. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Recess bill filed: A bill has again been filed in the Legislature to require daily recess in Florida's elementary schools. Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, filed SB 78, which would require 20 minutes of “supervised, safe and unstructured free-play recess” every day for K-5 students. A similar bill died in the Senate last year. Miami Herald. Florida Politics. A Pinellas County School District survey indicates about half the county's elementary schools have unstructured recess on days without a physical education class. Gradebook.

Teacher bonuses: In August, Education Commissioner Pam Stewart was asked by the State Board of Education to present an alternative to the Best and Brightest teacher bonuses program. Stewart has yet to present that plan, which the board is hoping to offer the Legislature as an option to the current program that gives bonuses to teachers based on evaluations and college entry exam scores. Gradebook.

School bus seat belts: Florida is one of just six states with a law requiring the use of seat belts on school buses. But several loopholes complicate enforcement of the law, say experts. WKMG.

No job for Pons: Former Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons will not be returning to a job with the school district. Rocky Hanna, who defeated Pons in the Nov. 8 election, says the policy that allows former elected officials to return to a district job does not apply to Pons. It was adopted in 2013, and Pons left his job as a principal to become superintendent in 2006. Pons' lawyer says they are weighing their options. Tallahassee Democrat.
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