Deadly shooting: Broward County detectives say Nikolas Cruz has confessed to killing 17 people and wounding more than a dozen others in a shooting spree Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He said he arrived at the school via Uber, fired more than 100 shots, dropped his gun and ammunition at the scene and escaped by blending in with a crowd of fleeing students. Then he got a drink at a Subway in Walmart and walked to McDonald's before being arrested. No motive for the shootings has been disclosed. Meanwhile, the names of the victims are released and thousands mourn the victims in a candlelight vigil. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. Palm Beach Post. Associated Press.
Other developments: Florida legislative leaders acknowledge they've failed in providing mental health care in schools, and vow to commit more money to it. But a bill that would limit assault weapons hasn't even been scheduled for a hearing. Tampa Bay Times. News Service of Florida. TCPalm. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Palm Beach Post. Politico Florida. Nikolas Cruz legally purchased the AR-15 rifle he used in the shootings. Miami Herald. How did Cruz get around school security? Sun-Sentinel. A YouTube user claims he alerted the FBI last fall about online threats by Cruz to become a “a professional school shooter.” CNN. President Trump's proposed budget would cut millions of dollars to help schools prevent crime and recover from tragedies. Politico.
Districts react: School districts around the state beef up security and discuss ways to tighten it further. Naples Daily News. Tampa Bay Times. Gradebook. Florida Today. TCPalm. Ocala Star-Banner. Fort Myers News-Press. Lakeland Ledger. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Gainesville Sun. Tallahassee Democrat. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Northwest Florida Daily News. Daily Commercial. Charlotte Sun. WUSF. WEAR.
Measuring progress: Lee County School Superintendent Greg Adkins says the district will create its own scorecard for measuring school progress. "The state has changed its accountability system over 60 times. If you keep changing the system, how will we really know how well we are doing when we are being measured against a moving target?" Adkins asked at a public forum this week. Naples Daily News.
Special needs scholarships: Gov. Rick Scott signs the bill that widens educational and scholarship options for developmentally disabled students. The bill increases funding for the Personal Learning Scholarship Account program by 33 percent, to $73 million a year. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the accounts. Sunshine State News.
City school districts: A constitutional amendment that would allow cities to form their own school districts is still under consideration, says its sponsor. But Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, says he is still getting feedback and it may take more than one legislative session to get it going. The Florida Constitution now requires districts to be drawn on county lines. News Service of Florida.
Charter schools: Two virtual charter schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties could be closed after an audit discloses poor student performance, allegations of ethical breaches and hostility between the schools' governing board and management company. Florida Virtual Academy at Broward's governing board oversees both schools. Sun-Sentinel. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools files a brief to Florida's Fourth District Appeals Court supporting the Department of Educations's contention that it can review appeals when charter school applications are rejected by local school boards. National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. The Pasco Charter Academy, which was initially rejected but later approved by the Pasco County School Board, won't open until the 2017-2018 school year. The school will be run by Charter Schools USA. Gradebook.
School recess: A bill moving through the Florida Legislature would require recess for elementary students. The playtime would be supervised and unstructured, and could not be withheld as punishment. The biggest issue appears to be finding 20 minutes in the day for recess. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
A measure expanding Florida's newest educational option for special needs students is now headed to Gov. Rick Scott's desk.
The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved SB 672, which would allow more families to access Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts and give the program a new name.
The Gardiner Scholarship — renamed for the family of Senate President Andy Gardiner, who championed the program — would be open to more students, including 3- and 4-year-olds and students with muscular dystrophy, as well as more children across the entire autism spectrum. The measure would also boost funding for scholarships to $71.2 million, and create new college programs for special-needs students. (more…)
School district changes?: State Sen. Jeff Brandes and State Rep. Matt Caldwell, both Republicans, support changes to the state constitution that could, among other things, allow the breakup of countywide school districts and end nonpartisan school board elections. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools: A Pinellas County charter school is being asked to account for a $75,000 federal grant or return the money to the district. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach County School Board denies the applications of four charter schools. Palm Beach Post.
School testing: Joanne McCall, new president of the Florida Education Association, says the union will continue to fight against "testing mania." Orlando Sentinel. Florida's standardized assessment tests should be used as a baseline to measure progress, not to grade schools and teacher, the Bradenton Herald editorializes. Wendy Bradshaw talks about her very public resignation from a Polk County elementary school. Tampa Bay Times.
Early education: Bay County school officials and community leaders are launching an initiative to improve educational opportunities for children from the cradle to entering the workforce. Panama City News Herald.
Civics education: Two U.S. representatives from Florida, Republican Dennis Ross and Democrat Gwen Graham, are urging high schools to provide more civics education. Sunshine State News.
Lottery sales: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow lottery ticket sales by automated credit and debit card machines, saying it could boost the amount of money going to education. WFSU.
Social media policies: Most Florida school districts have no policies surrounding the use of social media by employees, a study by a University of Florida doctoral student reveals. University of Florida.
Financial audit: Here's what Hillsborough school officials might be facing if they hire the Gibson Consulting Group to do a financial audit. Gradebook.
Literacy improvement: The literacy rate in Indian River County schools is up 12 percent, in large part due to Learning Alliance programs. TCPalm.
Superintendent shopping: Hernando County School Superintendent Lori Romano is applying for the top job in Osceola County. Tampa Bay Times.
School calendar: Lee County schools sets Aug. 10 as the first day of the 2016-2017 school year. Fort Myers News-Press.
Guns at school: A Miami Jackson Senior High student is arrested for bringing a gun to school. Miami Herald. A fifth grader's toy gun leads to a lockdown at Orange Brook Elementary School in Hollywood. Sun-Sentinel. A 17-year-old Manatee High School student who brought a BB gun to school is barred from returning to school and will take online courses the rest of this school year. Bradenton Herald.
Educators die: Gulf Coast High drama teacher Scarlett LaVite, 51, dies during a snorkeling outing while on a cruise. Naples Daily News. Patricia Rouse, assistant principal at Ft. Braden Elementary School, dies at 45. Tallahassee Democrat.
Employee discipline: A spilled water bottle leads to a tirade that may get a Boca Raton middle school math teacher fired. Palm Beach Post. A Duval County schools police officer is suspended after a scuffle with a parent. Jacksonville Times-Union.
Teacher upsets PETA: A video of a Sickles High School teacher juggling three dead frogs during class leads to a call from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the state to ban animal dissection in schools. Tampa Bay Times.
Students and cell phones: Should parents monitor their child's cell phone activity? A parent and teacher offers some guidelines. Miami Herald.
Racial slurs: Miami Palmetto Senior High School is reeling after racial slurs are posted on a social media chat forum. Miami Herald.
Student enrichment: A man born without limbs is sharing his anti-bullying message with students across Florida. Sun-Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Students at Dundee Elementary School are assembling 20 prosthetic hands printed by their 3-D printer to donate to other children. Lakeland Ledger. The Smiles Care a Van stops in Pasco schools to dispense free preventative dental services. Tampa Bay Times. An Orlando student who grew up in the foster care system and is now at Florida State University talks about his life. Orlando Sentinel. A Boca Raton ninth-grader creates an ocean energy probe to win the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Palm Beach Post. Gulf Breeze High School drama instructor Margie Timmons is named Florida Association for Theatre Education's teacher of the year. Pensacola News Journal. Patronis Elementary students get hands-on experience at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. Panama City News Herald.
