Teacher bonuses: Almost 7,200 Florida teachers will receive bonuses of about $6,800 under the state's Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program, the Department of Education announces. That's 1,800 more than the number who got the bonuses last year, and represents 4 percent of the state's teachers. First-year teachers can qualify if their SAT or ACT scores were in the top 20 percent, and experienced teachers need a highly effective evaluation too. The formula for qualifying has been criticized, and may be revised in the legislative session that starts in March. Orlando Sentinel. Bradenton Herald.

Testing targeted: Methods, times spent on assessment tests and the number of tests are all on the agenda as the Senate Education Appropriations Committee meets for the first time in 2017. House leaders say they're open to an "honest conversation" about streamlining testing, but they're focused more on school choice. Tampa Bay Times.

Bullying decline? An analysis of reports of bullying in Florida schools indicates just 0.1 percent of students were bullied in 2015, compared to 22 percent nationally. Just 3,000 incidents were reported, down from 6,200 in 2010. Experts and even some local school officials say the numbers are greatly underreported. In south Florida, for instance, almost 600 schools reported no incidences of bullying, Sun-Sentinel.

Fitness test bill: State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, files a bill that would end a personal fitness test as a substitute for the required Health Opportunities through Physical Education (HOPE) class. Instead, students could fulfill the requirement by being on a varsity or junior varsity team for two full seasons. Gradebook. (more…)

Testing exemption: A Florida court orders a hearing into a testing exemption granted to a Sarasota student with multiple disabilities. Maddie Drew's mother Paula lobbied the Department of Education for the exemption, which was denied but later approved after a suit was filed. But Drew wants the formal review, hoping to set a precedent for future students. Gradebook. Associated Press.

Superintendent re-evaluation: If further information comes out about sexual harassment charges against new Sarasota County School Superintendent Todd Bowden, the school board could reconsider the four-year contract it just approved, says board chairwoman Shirley Brown. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Superintendent evaluation: Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa receives high marks in his annual evaluation from school board members. Avossa was praised for reform efforts and communication skills. Palm Beach Post.

Pay raise for subs: Substitute teachers in Palm Beach County are getting a pay raise. Subs with 30 hours of college credit or more will earn $11.33 an hour, while those with a bachelor’s degree will earn $13.39. Retired teachers will get $13.91 an hour. Palm Beach Post.

School security: The Broward County School District will push to upgrade security at Coral Springs High School. A month ago, a former student walked into the school with a loaded handgun. The school is one of 74 in the county without a single point of entry to limit access. Sun Sentinel. (more…)

Dress code protest: A student protest of Ridgewood High School's new, stricter dress code results in more than 60 referrals for violations on Tuesday. Students and parents say the code is taking students out of class for sometimes minor infractions, such as logos being too large. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP. A student is turned away from the Braden River High School homecoming because he wasn't wearing a tie. The student's mother says the boy has breathing problems caused by spina bifida. Bradenton Herald.

Academic goals: The Duval County School Board approves Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's revised academic goals for the school year, though not without opposition. Florida Times-Union.

Teacher evaluations: More than 23 percent of Lake County's teachers are given a rating of "highly efficient," the highest evaluation a teacher can receive. That's an increase over last year's 11 percent, but pales to the 78 percent of teachers who received that rating in neighboring Orange and Seminole counties. Orlando Sentinel. Daily Commercial.

Superintendent protest: Dozens of people storm out of the Sarasota County School Board meeting after new Superintendent Todd Bowden's four-year contract is ratified. They were protesting the board dismissal of claims of sexual harassment against Bowden by three women who worked for him at Suncoast Technical College. Bowden will make $185,000 a year, and the board's vote to approve the contract was unanimous. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Superintendent search: Monroe County School Superintendent Mark Porter withdraws as a finalist for the St. Johns County superintendent's job. He says he intends to fulfill his contract in Monroe, which runs through July 17, 2017. Keynoter. (more…)

Testing alternatives: A bill allowing school districts to use alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments tests didn't get through this year's Legislature. But Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, says he'll make another push for the bill in the 2017 legislative session. Politico Florida. Members of the Manatee Opt-Out movement plead with school officials to work with them. But they're told the district is obligated to follow the state statutes, which requires students to sit for the tests. Bradenton Herald.

Failing schools: A report by the NAACP's St. Petersburg branch calls on Pinellas County school officials to acknowledge they have failed to provide an equal education for black students. The report also says parents feel ignored by school leaders, and that Superintendent Mike Grego should step down if the five failing schools in the black community don't make dramatic improvements. Tampa Bay Times. Teachers at Oak Ridge Elementary criticize Alachua County Commissioner Bill Proctor’s claims that their school is failing its students. Proctor recently called on the state to take over six south Tallahassee schools that are "separate and unequal" facilities. Gainesville Sun.

Confederate flag: The Indian River County School Board declines to ban the display of the Confederate flag from school campuses. "We can't legislate morality," Superintendent Mark Rendell says. "Our job is to try to teach these kids how to be good, young citizens." TCPalm.

School choice: The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, based in Palm Beach County, is recruiting Hispanic leaders for training to lobby for school choice policies and run for elected offices. The group wants to start in Florida and then replicate the program in other states. Politico Florida.

Teacher evaluations: A change in the "deliberate practices" portion of teacher evaluations is responsible for a huge decline in the number of teachers who are rated "highly effective," Orange County School District officials tell the school board. The "deliberate practices" requires teachers and administrators to choose an area and then measure the teacher's improvement in that area. In the 2013-2014 school year, 81.2 percent of county teachers were rated highly effective. In 2014-2015, the percentage dropped to 2.4 percent. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)