Teachers and guns: Florida should change state law so some teachers can be armed, says the chairman of the state commission investigating the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "We know from the history of these things that the majority (of school shooters) are stopped by school personnel," says Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. "People need to keep an open mind to it as the reality is that if someone else in that school had a gun it could have saved kids' lives." Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach County School District is one of eight in Florida to miss the deadline to submit a mandatory school-security review by the Oct. 31 deadline, but that “in no way means that the district is not compliant or responsive to the requirements of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Bill,” says Frank Kitzerow, district police chief. Palm Beach Post.
Tax collections accelerating: Hillsborough County voters just approved an increase of a half-cent in the sales tax to help schools with repairs and construction, and already the Florida Department of Revenue is projecting the measure will bring in more money than expected. School officials thought the tax would bring in just under $140 million a year. The new projection is for $151 million in 2019, and as much as $1.7 billion could be raised over the 10-year life of the tax hike. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Transgender fight: Dozens of Pasco County parents are calling on the school board to reverse its decision to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity choice. "Our gender is not assigned. We are created male and female. God is good," resident Harry Chamness told the board. The fight has focused on Robert Oppedisano, a physical education teacher at Chasco Middle School who has refused to monitor the boys locker room because he's uncomfortable watching over a student who was born a female but identifies as a male. He's asked the Liberty Counsel to protect his rights and his job. Superintendent Kurt Browning says, contrary to Internet reports, Oppedisano has not been disciplined for his refusal. Tampa Bay Times.
Board members sworn in: New school board members are sworn in and new chairpersons selected at districts around the state. Miami-Dade. Duval. Broward. Brevard. Hernando. Pasco. Lee. Manatee. Sarasota. Alachua. Marion. Leon. Volusia. Monroe. Charlotte.
Amendment 8 off ballot: A judge's decision that proposed constitutional Amendment 8 should be removed from the Nov. 6 ballot is upheld in a 4-3 vote by the Florida Supreme Court. A Leon County judge had ruled that the amendment is misleading and fails to inform voters of its “chief purpose and effect.” The amendment, put forward by the Constitution Revision Commission, would have created an entity other than local school boards that can approve charter and public schools, set term limits for school board members and required civics education in schools. The League of Women Voters challenged the constitutionality of the amendment, with president Patricia Brigham saying “the backers of this proposal on the CRC went to great lengths to hide the ball because they realized that Floridians would never knowingly forfeit their right to local control over their local public schools.” Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix. Florida Politics. Washington Post. Watchdog.org.
Scott rejected again: Legislative leaders officially deny Gov. Rick Scott's request to release $58 million from the armed school guardian fund to districts to help them pay for more security at schools. In a letter to the governor Friday, incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said, "For the guardian program to truly be vetted and ultimately embraced, I believe the program should maintain its own funding rather than having its funds commingled with other funds available for school safety. I respectfully disagree with your statement that the $58 million in available funding will go to waste if the proposed budget amendment is not adopted." Galvano did say he would be open to reviewing the program in the near future. Only $9 million of the $67 million set aside for guardians was claimed by districts, which preferred having school resource officers to arming school employees. Associated Press. (more…)
Education bill: The Senate is expected to vote today on the massive education bill, which would create a state scholarship for bullied students, boost the money available for special-needs students that would be funded through a corporate lease tax credit, offer $500 savings accounts for tutoring to low-performing readers in elementary schools, and decertify teachers unions that don't have 50 percent of their eligible employees as dues-paying members, among other things. If approved, the bill goes back to the House for a vote. Tampa Bay Times. redefinED. News Service of Florida. State Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotasassa, calls the Senate's leadership "third world" after his failed attempt to amend the provision that could decertify teachers unions. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. As the Legislature enters its final week, it still has to pass the education bill, the school safety bill, and a budget that includes a small hike for K-12 schools and a boost for Bright Futures scholarships, among other things. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times.
School safety bill: The Florida Senate, in a rare Saturday session, finalizes a school safety bill that allows teachers to carry guns in schools but does not ban assault weapons. The amendment banning assault weapons passed in a voice vote, but was then rejected in a roll call vote. The proposed bill would require a three-day waiting period to buy all firearms, boost the legal age to buy a rifle or a shotgun from 18 to 21, ban bump stocks, put an armed police officer in every school, and boost funding for mental health care. Here are the amendments that passed, and those that failed. The Senate is expected to take a final vote today. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Politico Florida. If the Legislature passes a school safety bill that includes a provision that allows teachers to be armed, it's unclear if Gov. Rick Scott could veto it. He opposes having teachers carrying guns. Palm Beach Post. During Saturday's debate, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, says thoughts and prayers are the only thing that can stop the evil behind mass shootings. Miami Herald. A review of school shootings seems to indicate that any one preventative measure being proposed could have stopped at least one of the assaults, but not all of them. Miami Herald. Experts say the legislation not only won't stop the next Nikolas Cruz, but it creates a parallel mental health system that duplicates services. Politico Florida. Leon County officials work to improve security at schools while waiting to see what comes out of the Legislature. Tallahassee Democrat.
Teacher removed for podcast: A social studies teacher at Crystal River Middle who has been hosting a white nationalist podcast under a different name and boasting that she's pushing her views to her students has been removed from the classroom while the Citrus County School District investigates. On her podcast Unapologetic, under the pseudonym Tiana Dalichov, 25-year-old Dayanna Volitich has promoted the idea that some races are smarter than others, that terrorism won't end until all Muslims are "eradicated," and praised the work of anti-Semitic authors and white supremacists. Volitich says her statements were political satire. Huffington Post. Citrus County Chronicle. WFLA. (more…)
House education bill: The Florida House Education Commission approves the 109-page education bill, which includes new scholarships for 3rd-graders who fail the state reading exam, an expansion of school choice, a cutback in computerized state testing and new regulatory accountability rules for private schools accepting tax credit scholarships. Representatives spent considerable time debating the merits of a provision that allows school boards to set up autonomous networks within their districts that would be managed by the highest-rated principals. News Service of Florida. redefinED. Politico Florida. The Senate and House plans for higher education spending differ by hundreds of millions of dollars, but leaders in the chambers say they are optimistic they can strike a deal agreeable to both. News Service of Florida.
Guns and schools: A Senate bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons in churches and religious institutions that include schools is amended during a hearing Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Those senators approved the bill only after making a change that would prohibit firearm possession in religious institutions during hours when schools or day-care centers are operating. And two south Florida Republicans are asking the bill's sponsor, Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, to provide assurances that he won't continue to push the bill if the amendment is removed. Baxley says he will try to avoid having the bill changed. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. WFSU.
Public employee unions: The full Florida House passes a bill that would require public employee unions to apply for recertification if their total dues-paying membership falls below half of all those eligible. Unions representing police officers, prison guards and firefighters would be exempt from the bill. Florida Education Association president Joanne McCall says the bill is "an attempt to silence those who dare to speak out and speak up on behalf of our public schools and our students.” The bill's chances in the Senate are uncertain. “The bill hasn’t moved in the Senate this session, and I don’t see it gaining traction,” says Senate president-designate Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton. Politico Florida. (more…)
Bright Futures: The Florida Senate unanimously approves a higher education bill that includes the permanent expansion of the Bright Futures scholarships program. S.B. 4, which was sponsored by Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, would provide full funding of tuition and fees for the 41,000 students who qualify for the Academic Scholar award. Those students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and a score of at least 1,290 on the SAT or 29 on the ACT. Another 50,000-plus students who qualify for the Medallion Scholar award would receive 75 percent of tuition and fees. The bill also expands the Benacquisto Scholarship awards, which are full scholarships for out-of-state National Merit Scholar award winners. Sunshine State News. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. WFSU.
Schools of Hope: The Florida Board of Education is expected to start working next week on the rules that will determine how charter school networks can qualify to be "hope operators" under the state's new "Schools of Hope" law. The draft rules would designate charter school organizations as a hope operator in any three ways: They have received a federal grant for the expansion of high-quality charters; received financial backing from the Charter School Growth Fund; or been chosen by a local school board to turn around a struggling district public school. Hope operators can apply to open charter schools within 5 miles of persistently struggling public schools. If the rules are approved, the process could be opened to charter school companies in February. redefinED.
Bethune statue: A Senate committee approves a bill that would place a statue of famed educator Mary McLeod Bethune in the U.S. Capitol. Her statue would replace the one of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote. Associated Press. Florida Politics.
Private school oversight: A bill is filed for the legislative session beginning today that would tighten some standards for private schools receiving state scholarships. Under the bill, filed by state Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, private schools would be required to hire only teachers with at least a bachelor's degree. The proposal would also tighten financial accountability, ban school owners with recent bankruptcies from receiving scholarship money, increase school inspections by the state and make it more difficult for schools to submit falsified fire or health inspection reports. Simmons says his bill is an attempt to strike a balance between too much regulation and not enough. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the tax credit scholarship and Gardiner scholarship programs. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher merit pay: Two Republican legislators want to delete the requirement in state law that student test scores be used to evaluate teachers. The bills, filed by Rep. Rene Plasencia, R-Orlando, and Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, would give schools boards the option of using student test scores in evaluations. “We don’t think student test scores should be tied to our evaluations,” says Plasencia. “It’s frustrated many teachers, and it’s driven some really good teachers out of the profession, a lot of them early.” Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher test-taking: The rising numbers of teachers failing the state’s newly revised Florida Teacher Certification Exam prompts state Rep. Robert Asencio, D-Miami, to file a bill that would require the Florida Department of Education to appoint a task force to study whether the test is appropriately measuring teacher competency and other issues. “Whenever we have such a high failure rate we have to figure out what's going on,” says Asencio. WPTV.
Legislative session: Gov. Rick Scott delivers his final state of the state speech today at the opening of the legislative session. It's expected to contrast his first one in 2011, when he called for sharp cuts in education spending. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. WCTV. Politico Florida. The Senate is expected to pass a higher education bill Thursday that would permanently expand Bright Futures scholarships, and will consider a bill that would require high school students to complete a financial literacy course in order to graduate. News Service of Florida.
Bright Futures: A bill that would make the expansion of Bright Futures scholarships permanent passes a Florida Senate committee and is headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee next month. S.B. 4, filed by state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, provides full funding for tuition and fees and summer classes to Bright Futures academics scholars, plus $300 for books. Bright Futures scholars must have a 3.5 GPA and score a 1,290 on the SAT test or a 29 on the ACT. The bill also covers 75 percent of the expenses for medallion scholars. Sunshine State News.
Help for states: The U.S. Education Department is making $2 million available for Florida officials to help students and educators who were affected by several devastating hurricanes. The money will go to the Florida Department of Education for mental health assessments; overtime pay for teachers, counselors and law enforcement; substitute teachers; and emergency transportation. The U.S. department has already awarded the Texas Education Agency $2 million, and the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands education departments also will get $2 million each. U.S. News & World Report. The 74.
ESSA plan questioned: Civil rights and education groups are lobbying U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to reject Florida's plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In a letter to DeVos, the groups allege Florida's plan does not protect minority, disabled and low-income students and those who are learning English. "ESSA plans that allow schools to shirk their responsibility to all children, especially groups of children who have been shortchanged for too long, fail to meet the intent of the law and should be rejected," the letter states. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Education Week.
Legislative proposals: A Florida Senate committee approves two bills that would, if passed, have an impact on local school officials. S.B. 272 would require 60 percent approval for any tax initiative placed on a special election ballot. It would take effect July 1. Many school districts favor special elections when putting tax increases before voters. S.B. 192 would redefine when two public officials may meet privately to discuss public business. Under the state's Sunshine Law, any meeting between public officials must be open to the public. Gradebook.
School loses scholarships: A private school in Melbourne is kicked out of the state's three scholarships programs by the Florida Department of Education. Yakol Christian School, which had an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, was evicted for changing principals without notifying the state and for having no students on campus during a visit by a Step Up For Students representative. Step Up, which hosts this blog, administers two of the three state scholarship programs. Earlier this year, a pastor affiliated with the school was charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a 15-year-old student. Orlando Sentinel.
Gifted school proposed: The Broward County School District is proposing the creation of a school exclusively for gifted students in grades 3-12. The school would be called the “Center for Intellectually Talented Youth,” and be located at Parkway Middle School in Fort Lauderdale. Supporters like the concept, but opponents argue that the proposal promotes segregation. Sun-Sentinel.
School appeals ruling: Cambridge Christian School of Tampa is appealing a court ruling that the state of Florida had the right to deny the school from broadcasting a prayer over the public address system before a 2015 state championship football game. Then-Florida High School Athletic Association director Roger Dearing told the schools that because the game was in a public facility, the prayer was "off-limits" under federal guidelines and court precedent. Cambridge Christian sued the FHSAA after the denial and lost at the district court level. Last week the school, with the help of the First Liberty Institute, filed an appeal of that decision with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Christian Post.
In the Legislature: A bill that would make the one-year expansion of Bright Futures scholarships permanent gets the approval of the Senate Education Committee. S.B. 4 was filed by Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and would provide full and partial college scholarships to more than 100,000 students. Sunshine State News. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. News Service of Florida. The committee also approves a bill that would require schools to teach the signs and dangers of human trafficking as part of health classes. WFSU.
Makeup days: Miami-Dade County school officials are proposing to convert two teacher professional development days into instructional days and changing three early-release days into full days of classes to make up time lost to Hurricane Irma. The school board will consider the proposal Wednesday. Miami Herald.
Contract negotiations: The Brevard County teachers union rejects a 1 percent pay raise proposal, and asks the district to match the 5 percent raise Superintendent Desmond Blackburn was recently given. District officials say a 1 percent raise for the 4,600 teachers would cost about $2.9 million, and it cannot afford a 5 percent raise. Florida Today.
Schools honored: The state Department of Education is naming 640 schools in 44 counties as "Schools of Excellence" on Wednesday. Schools earn the designation by receiving an A or B grade from the state in each of the past three years and by being among the top 20 percent of the schools at their level in the grading system. These schools are rewarded with flexibility on several state rules: They may calculate class size by a schoolwide average, set daily start and finish times separate from the district, ignore the state's minimum reading requirements, earn points toward certification renewal, and have greater latitude on hiring and budget decisions. Gradebook. About 700 schools around the state win Five Star School awards from the Florida Department of Education for their family involvement, volunteerism, community service by students, partnerships with the community and businesses, and the school advisory council. WJHG. Coral Springs Talk. Parkland Talk. Pensacola News Journal. Bradenton Herald. WJXT. Gradebook. Fort Myers News-Press. Florida Today. Space Coast Daily.
