Magnet schools: A Broward County high school's Aerospace Technologies and Design program teaches students to design, build and fund rocket-building projects, just like NASA. Sun Sentinel. Once a struggling school, this Palm Beach County magnet has become one of the premier public high schools in the country. Palm Beach Post. A new Advanced Placement Academy challenges traditional students to push themselves further. Fort Myers News-Press.

Charter schools: The Orange County school system is investigating a charter school that wrongly threatened to dismiss students for failing the FCAT. Miami Herald. A Marco Island Charter Middle School student wins an essay contest, and a college education. Naples Daily News. Pasco's superintendent recommends approving a charter for students with learning disabilities. Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas and Pasco school districts plan to oppose the new law requiring standard contracts for charter schools. The Tampa Tribune.

Dual language: The Palm Beach County school district brings in 15 teachers from Spain to help the district's dual language program for the next three years. Sun Sentinel.

Common Core: So far, the Department of Education has received almost 16,000 emails and online comments concerning the new standards, including a 74-page document from former state Board of Education member Roberto Martinez. The Buzz. The Pasco County school board considers adopting a resolution supporting the standards. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay: Last-ditch efforts to prevent Orange County teachers from waiting another four months for salary increases appear headed for failure. Orlando Sentinel. Among the 11 largest public agencies in the county, the Polk County School District has the highest percentage of employees that make less than $50,000 a year. The Ledger.

SAT: The average SAT scores for Palm Beach County’s Class of 2013 dips slightly from the previous class of graduates, as did the number of county students taking the college entrance exam. Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Private schools: Dana Sostchin, a first-grade teacher who has taught for more than 20 years at Yeshiva Elementary School in Miami Beach, receives a Governor's Shine Award from Gov. Rick Scott. Jewish Journal.

Charter schools: A new Brevard County K-5 charter school focuses on the classics,  with literature and Latin lessons. Florida Today. The governing board of University Preparatory Academy, Pinellas's newest charter school, meets today. Tampa Bay Times.

Dual enrollment: Polk County high school students taking part in a dual enrollment program with Southeastern University get to tour the campus. The Ledger.

Digital learning: Two Pinellas County high schools get to expand their digital technology programs thanks to a $14,500 grant. The Tampa Tribune.

Common Core: Department of Education officials have received nearly 13,000 public comments on Common Core State Standards. Tallahassee Democrat.

Afterschool: Pinellas County schools make a final push to enroll students in the district’s new afterschool tutoring program, Promise Time. The Tampa Tribune.

Teacher pay: Miami-Dade teachers will vote on a $70 million deal that will provide raises of at least $1,100 to 21,000 instructors. Miami Herald. Lee County teachers approve a $1,700 raise for effective and highly effective teachers. Fort Myers News-Press. (more…)

Virtual Ed: District online classes grow in Volusia and Flagler counties, helping schools become more user-friendly for students. Daytona Beach News-Journal. New Pasco County schools' online program is the brainchild of two teachers, and builds upon current virtual offerings. Tampa Bay Times. 

Rick Scott: During an online live chat with the education blog redefinED, outgoing state Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan says Scott needs to express full-throated support for Common Core. Tallahassee Democrat. 

Common Core: The future of Common Core to improve academic achievement is largely being undermined by — and there is no gentle way to put this — very shrill, stupid people, writes Dan Ruth for the Tampa Bay Times. In our mobile society, why wouldn't we want our children to be assured of being taught the same high-level, college- and career-ready standards in the same grade level across the country? writes high school reading and English teacher Mella Baxter for the Orlando Sentinel. ExxonMobil comes out in support of the Common Core. Sunshine State News.

Accountability: A new study finds Florida's eighth-graders hold their own on international math and science tests, but fall short of marks posted by top-performing nations and U.S. states. Sun-Sentinel. More from StateImpact Florida.

Teacher pay: Palm Beach County school officials offer most local teachers another $76 on top of the $2,000 raises previously offered, but teachers still are seeing red. Palm Beach Post. Hernando teachers and district officials continue to hash out agreement for raises. Tampa Bay Times.

Racial gap: Pinellas County administrators look to students for help in overcoming the district's racial divide. The Tampa Tribune. Pinellas County's superintendent says the district will be aggressive as it tackles the achievement gap between black students and their peers. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Magnet schools: Broward County's popular district choice schools, NOVA, face scrutiny for what some parents call unfair advantages over other magnet and choice options. Sun Sentinel.

Charter schools: Bok Tower Academy charter school in Lake Wales attempts to set a Guinness World record for hand-holding. The Ledger. All 430 of Hillsborough's Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School students plan to pursue post-secondary education and all  69 seniors have received college acceptance notices. The Tampa Tribune. Pasco County school administrators change procedures for reviewing charter schools. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay: The teachers union and Palm Beach County School District return to negotiations about raises. Palm Beach Post. Osceola County's public school teachers will get raises of about $1,400 this year. Orlando Sentinel.

Bright Futures: The state scholarship that used to pay up to 100 percent of college tuition for qualifying students now covers only about half the costs. Fort Myers News-Press.

School safety: Hillsborough school board members continue talks about putting armed security guards at elementary schools. Tampa Bay Times.

Principals: Patricia Noble is the new leader of Kingsford Elementary in Polk County. The Ledger. Janet D. Knott of Duval County is one of 61 school principals named a distinguished principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Florida Times-Union.

Class size: Broward County school officials expect a lower fine this year, maybe even as low as $1,600. Sun Sentinel. Hillsborough County district schools meet class size. The Tampa Tribune. (more…)

Charter schools: A new St. Petersburg charter school under fire for missteps wants to open another school in neighboring Hillsborough County. Tampa Bay Times.

Pay raises: Polk County school district teachers, principals, assistant principals, paraprofessionals and clerical staff will get a raise this year. The Ledger. Lee County school leaders approve a 3.3 percent raise for district support staff. Fort Myers News-Press. Hillsborough teachers will get a 4 percent pay raise. The Tampa Tribune. Pasco County principals get a pay bump. Tampa Bay Times.

Class size: Broward schools face a $1.1 million fine this year for failing to meet state class size caps. Sun Sentinel. A Pasco County school turns to team teaching to comply. Tampa Bay Times.

Strategic plans: Polk County moves forward with a plan to pull the district's state grade to an A by 2017-18. The Ledger. Duval County school leaders eye a legislative platform that includes dual enrollment and textbook funding. Florida Times-Union. Brevard County school board members vote unanimously to seek a half-cent sales tax in the 2014 election. Florida Today.

ESE aides: The special needs workers soon will get benefits, new titles and for some, a pay boost. Tampa Bay Times.

School zones: Public backlash influences a Broward County school board member to withdraw her boundary change proposals. Sun Sentinel.

Accreditation: Pinellas County school board members vote unanimously to seek accreditation from AdvancED. Tampa Bay Times.

Struggling students: Palm Beach County school officials now will separate academics from consequences to keep troubled students from falling further behind in class work. Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Charter schools: Too many charters are failing, pointing to an urgent need for more budget oversight by the state, writes the Sun Sentinel. More students are enrolling in Pinellas County’s charter schools, leaving some school board members to worry it’s at the detriment of public schools. The Tampa Tribune. St. Petersburg's struggling University Prep needs to follow its contract and mend fences with community leaders, who also need to be willing to come back to the table, writes the Tampa Bay Times. A charter school principal embraces the universal truth that students do better academically when their parents are involved in their education, writes Bill Maxwell for the Tampa Bay Times.

Private schools: Indian Rocks Christian School in Pinellas County was one of three national winners of a $30,000 school cafeteria makeover in Uncle Ben's (the rice company) contest. Tampa Bay Times. Collier County residents support a new German school to help immerse children in their native language and culture. Naples Daily News.

Magnet schools: Palm Beach County school district officials look at building arts-themed magnet schools in the county's southern communities. Palm Beach Post.

Special needs: A new audit finds that Orange County schools are not meeting the needs of thousands of students with disabilities. Orlando Sentinel.

Homeschoolers: In Florida, there are 75,081 homeschoolers. Parents are choosing the option for many reasons: dissatisfaction in the school district, to foster more family time or to simply be in control of the education experience. Bradenton Herald.

Common Core: Critics don't want to debate the new standards, they just want education officials to listen and to hold off implementation. StateImpact Florida. Florida's public hearings were supposed to be about answering questions about the benchmarks, but the conversation was drowned out by emotional outbursts and political jabs aimed at the federal government. Times/Herald. Officials expect schools to start teaching the new standards over the next year, yet educators remain unsure when, and how, their students will be tested on them. The Hechinger Report. As the fight over Common Core continues, Palm Beach County school officials move ahead with books aligned to the new standards. Palm Beach Post. PolitiFact takes aim at the Common Core. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Charter schools: Lobbyist John Sullivan makes the leap from charter schools to Duval County public schools, in an effort by the district's superintendent to compete. The Buzz. 

Common Core: Proponents say the new standards will make students more competitive while opponents argue against government intrusion during the final public hearing on the matter. The Buzz.  The Department of Education has received more than 7,000 emails and online comments about the new standards. Tallahassee Democrat. Florida Tax Watch weighs in on having assessments aligned with the new benchmarks. Tampa Bay Times. When it comes to Common Core, "we need the governor to lead,'' writes the Sun Sentinel.

Jeb Bush: "Criticisms and conspiracy theories are easy attention grabbers," the former Florida governor says about Common Core opponents at the Excellence in Education National Summit in Boston. The Buzz.

Class size: A group of Broward parents are angry about their school's last-minute decision to create a new classroom inside an unused portable to meet class-size requirements. Sun Sentinel.

Teacher absences: Last school year, the Polk County school district had more than 80,000 absences among its 7,000 teachers. In about 13,000 of those instances, no substitute was available. The Ledger.

Teacher supplies: The Wishing Well, a project to provide Manatee County teachers with free school supplies, may close. Bradenton Herald.

Bullying: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd visits a middle school to talk to students about bullying. The Ledger. (more…)

Charter schools: A new Broward County charter school with 60 students closes after school leaders fail to pay rent. Sun Sentinel. Rapper Pitbull is the latest in a long list of celebrities lending their star power to open a charter school, this one in Miami. NPR. In a divided vote, the Sarasota County School Board approves a new charter, granting permission for the district's largest charter school to expand. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Choice: Pasco schools look to expand educational options for students and parents with more blended-learning classrooms and diploma programs. Tampa Bay Times.

Virtual Ed: Florida Virtual School's 2-year-old trademark infringement lawsuit against K-12, Inc. heads to the state Supreme Court. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher pay: “Florida teachers deserve a salary increase, and they should have the benefit of knowing their new salary level as soon as possible so they can best plan their future,” Gov. Rick Scott tells school districts in a letter. Palm Beach Post.

Common Core: A public meeting in Tampa to debate the new standards draws about 200 people, including well-known opponent Sandra Stotsky, a former Massachusetts education official now affiliated with the University of Arkansas. Orlando Sentinel.  More from StateImpact Florida, The Ledger, The Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times. The state Board of Education opts not to adopt the reading samples associated with the new national benchmarks as well as the student writing samples and suggestions on how to structure math classes. Miami Herald. Board members struggle with what to call the standards. StateImpact Florida. The state Department of Education communication plans for standards avoids referring to them as Common Core. The Florida Current. Common Core 101, from StateImpact Florida. The standards do not constitute a curriculum, but they lay out general education principles and skills students should master at different grade levels. The Hechinger Report.

Safety net: Florida is going to keep in place a controversial safety net provision for the state's school grading system. The Ledger. More from the News Service of Florida.

School spending: The Broward school district’s attempt to outsource much of its facilities department — a move designed to restore credibility — has instead raised new questions. Miami Herald. The Manatee County School District changes the way it pays for substitute teachers. Bradenton Herald. The Manatee school district pays $8,000 to a former district employee to coach the new director of communications,  who earns $90,000. Bradenton Herald.

Outsourcing: Miami-Dade County school bus drivers protest the board's vote to study a plan to outsource the district's $69 million transportation system. Miami Herald. (more…)

Charter schools: Nearly a dozen employees sue a shuttered Fort Lauderdale charter school, saying they are owed $40,000. Sun Sentinel. University Preparatory Academy's assistant principal tells a community group that most of the 69 students who have withdrawn from the school came from Pinellas County fundamental schools, but the Tampa Bay Times finds that's not so.

Civics magnet: Leon County's new history and civics-based magnet program opens at the 157-year-old Woodville Elementary. Tallahassee Democrat.

Parents ROCK: A new Collier County parents' group forms as ROCK, Rights Of Choice For Kids. Naples Daily News.

Career Ed: A Polk County career education center lets students learn while helping others get the eyeglasses they need. The Ledger. 

Common Core: Florida is three years into implementing the new standards, with the benchmarks fully in use in kindergarten through second grade. StateImpact Florida. Common Core opponents will host press conferences and a rally throughout the day in an attempt to slow down the standards. The Tampa Tribune. To the parents questioning the impact that Common Core State Standards will have in our public schools, I say: Demand answers! writes John Romano for the Tampa Bay Times. Proponents of Common Core should have met with opponents early on and explained the plan in greater detail, writes Lloyd Brown for Sunshine State News.

Teacher pay: A tentative agreement has Miami-Dade school teachers getting a raise of at least $1,100, and a chance to earn the $2,500 raise pledged by Gov. Rick Scott this year. Miami Herald.

Florida BOE: Florida Board of Education member Sally Bradshaw, resigns two months before her term ends. The Buzz. (more…)

Education commissioner. The Florida Board of Education appears poised to hire interim commissioner Pam Stewart to permanently replace Tony Bennett instead of launching the third search in two years. Associated Press. Common Core, school grades and new tests aren't on the agenda. Miami Herald.

Common Core. Lawmakers face growing resistance as they return to Tallahassee next week for the first round of committee hearings in advance of the 2014 session. StateImpact Florida. Common Core will be the bedrock Florida needs for a world-class education, writes former Florida Board of Education member Roberto Martinez in the Miami Herald. The Naples Daily News writes up state Rep. Debbie Mayfield's bill to halt Common Core.

Charter schools. Lawmakers should drop the model charter school contract and give districts more say over charter applications. Orlando Sentinel. The Palm Beach County school district moves to immediately shutter a troubled charter where a student allegedly went missing for a few hours. Palm Beach Post. The Sarasota Military Academy charter school offers a firearm safety course. Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Private schools. A new private school for students with disabilities opens in Sarasota, with student funding coming from McKay vouchers. Bradenton Herald.

Education spending. The Florida Board of Education's proposed budget calls for $15.1 billion in spending next year, $65.3 million less than the current spending plan. StateImpact Florida. The Pasco school board will consider a budget that is $1.079 billion, up 5.11 percent from last year. Gradebook. In Lake, impact fees aren't keeping up with growth. Orlando Sentinel.

Teacher pay. Pinellas Superintendent Mike Grego touts $32 million worth of teacher pay raises this year in a new video. Gradebook. Hillsborough teachers and support staff could get 4 percent raises under a tentative deal with the district. Tampa Tribune. Leon teachers ratify a new contract that includes a $2,182 across-the-board pay raise. Tallahassee Democrat. (more…)