The education lobby: With big money at stake and big changes in the works, lobbying for education in Tallahassee is a booming business. There are lobbyists for nearly every Florida school district, and several for some, for charter schools and private schools and companies that do education work and companies that administer scholarship programs that allow students to attend private schools with taxpayer money. Step Up for Students, which hosts this blog, uses 11 lobbyists, according to state records. “Everybody is trying to get a piece of that pie,” says Ronald Meyer, a lawyer who lobbies for the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union. Florida Phoenix.
Court and education: The new school voucher plan being considered in the Legislature could be a test case for the new-look Florida Supreme Court. A scholarship has been proposed that would draw from general revenue funds instead of tax credits. When a similar idea was enacted in 2006, the state Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional. But three of the justices who supported that decision are no longer on the court, having been replaced by conservatives who have previously supported voucher programs. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the tax credit and other state scholarship programs. GateHouse.
Next for Common Core: The imminent end to the Common Core standards in Florida schools has many state educators and parents worried about what they'll be replaced with, how students will be affected, whether standardized testing will change and how much the change will cost. TCPalm.
DeSantis' busy start: In just a few weeks in office, Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed eliminating Common Core standards, changing the bonus system for teachers and principals and eliminating the waiting lists for state K-12 scholarship programs. What's next? Gradebook. Tampa Bay Times. Would the proposed bonus system solve Florida's teacher shortage? WFSU. DeSantis' proposal to rework the bonus program for teachers and principals faces several obstacles before it becomes state law. Florida Phoenix.
After the shooting: Nearly a year after the shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, repercussions continue to be felt around the state. School security laws are still being made and updated, and students and parents are continuing their activism. Here's an update of where the key players are and what they're doing today, the memorials to the victims and the potential effects of heightened security in schools. USA Today. Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald. Associated Press. GateHouse. Naples Daily News. Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. WLRN. Education Next. WFTS. (more…)
Arming teachers: A bill is filed in the Florida Senate that would eliminate a clause in state law prohibiting teachers from being armed in classrooms. Other new provisions include a requirement that county sheriffs establish an armed guardians program if asked to by local school boards, and allowing contract employees to serve as guardians. The first hearing for the bill is Feb. 12. It was submitted by the Senate Education Committee, and follows the recommendation of the chairman of the state commission that investigated the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last February. Tampa Bay Times.
Gardiner waitlist: Gov. Ron DeSantis says his budget proposal includes $18.8 million to end the waiting list for students who are trying to get Gardiner scholarships. About 1,800 students are on the list for the program, which provides aid for students with disabilities. About 12,000 students now get the scholarships, and most use them for tuition to private schools. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer the program. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. Florida Phoenix. redefinED. WKMG. WFTV. WPTV. WBBH. Florida Politics. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WFSU. (more…)
