Graduation rate up: The state's high school graduation rate for 2016 was a record 80.7 percent, according to the Department of Education. That's 2.8 percentage points over the 2015 rate. Fifty-five of the state's 67 districts showed improvement. Florida Department of Education. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Palm Beach Post. Gradebook. Florida Times-Union. Florida Today. Space Coast Daily. TCPalm. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Orlando Sentinel. WJXT. WPLG. WTLV.
Socioeconomic segregation: The Bay County School District is becoming segregated along socioeconomic lines, with richer, high-performing students increasingly moving to charter schools. That's the summary of an analysis of the district's charter school population. "I don't think anyone got a surprise here," school board chair Ginger Littleton said. Panama City News Herald.
Classroom learning: How much time students spend learning in classrooms will be the focus of the new chairmen of the Senate and House K-12 education committees. “We want to take a deep dive and make sure that we’re getting every penny that we can to that classroom across the board, whether it’s a traditional public school, a magnet, a charter,” says Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah. Miami Herald.
Bullying in school: Faced with statistics that bullying in schools is up, and several recent examples, Broward County School Board members say they plan to take a closer look at what they can do to cut down on bullying and the violence that often accompanies it. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)
Open enrollment rules: Open enrollment for students in Palm Beach County will be an option only when a school is 10 percent under capacity, the school board decides. A state law going into effect next year allows students to move to any public school that has room for them, but allows each district to set its own rules. Sun-Sentinel.
Alternate test option: The Florida Department of Education approves Istation as an option to the Florida Standards Assessments tests for third-grade promotion. There are now seven options for students, including well-known tests such as the SAT-10 and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Gradebook.
Legislative priorities: Incoming state House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, says he wants the Legislature to expand school choice, deregulate the state's highest-performing public schools and provide more money to schools that have extended hours. redefinED.
Danger in Duval: Duval County's schools are the most dangerous in the state, according to Florida Department of Education statistics. In the 2014-2015 school year, Duval recorded 11,537 incidents of crime, violence and disruptive behavior. Miami-Dade County was next with 8,854. WJXT.
Schools and politics: A Boca Raton High School senior wearing a "Hillary for Prison 2016" T-shirt says she was thrown out of class and threatened with suspension because her shirt was causing a classroom disruption. WPTV. (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…)
Teacher evaluations: Orange County teachers and school officials agree on a new evaluation process that will drastically increase the number of teachers earning a "highly effective" rating. Teachers need that rating to be eligible for bonuses under the state's Best and Brightest program. Only 2.4 percent of the district's 13,000 teachers received highly effective ratings in the 2014-2015 school year. With the changes, as many as 78 percent will. Orlando Sentinel. Not a single Orange or Seminole county teacher will receive an unsatisfactory rating for the 2015-2016 school year. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher pay raises: The Palm Beach County School Board approves an average 3 percent pay raise for the district's teachers. Most of the district's 13,000 teachers will get at least $1,300 more, and some could get as much as $1,700. Starting pay increases slightly from $40,775 to $41,000. The union still has to ratify the agreement. Sun-Sentinel.
Teacher job security: Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning says the move by some districts to guarantee annual contract renewals to teachers with effective or highly effective ratings goes against the legislative intent when tenure was ended. Gradebook. (more…)
Guns, recess in schools: A majority of Floridians support trained staff carrying guns in schools, and an overwhelmingly number back a requirement of 20 minutes of daily recess for elementary students, according to a USF-Nielsen Sunshine State survey. Villages-News. Politico Florida. Sunshine State News. WJXT. News Service of Florida.
New superintendent: Todd Bowden, the 45-year-old executive director of Career, Technical and Adult Education for Sarasota County and director of Suncoast Technical College, is chosen to be Sarasota County's next school superintendent. He will succeed Lori White, who is retiring in February. The school board preferred Bowden to Brennan Asplen III, the superintendent for Academic and Student Services in St. Johns County, and Mark Porter, superintendent in Monroe County. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald.
Board squabbles: The Duval County School Board's discussion of disappointing test results by the district's International Baccalaureate classes students turns angry, with a 20-minute recess called to break up the shouting. Several members say the poor test results at non-magnet IB programs could be a result of inexperienced teachers, while others think the board is making excuses for the poor results. At one point, board member Becki Couch told fellow member Cheryl Grymes to quit staring at her. Florida Times-Union.
Teacher complaints: Broward County teachers tell the school board that they are overworked and bullied. Teachers made the appearance to protest the district's $300,000 proposal to buy software that will train them on a new instructional method. The program is voluntary, but teachers worry it will be made mandatory. Sun-Sentinel. (more…)
Graduation rates: Florida had the eighth-worst graduation rate among U.S. states and the District of Columbia in 2015, according to the White House. The state's rate was 77.9 percent, its best ever but far behind the national average of 83.2 percent. The rate is measured by the percentage of students who graduate within four years after starting ninth grade. Orlando Sentinel.
Education leaders: New leaders for the Florida Senate and House mean new appointments after the election for legislators who will help set education policy. Here are some of the candidates to push education bills when the Legislature convenes in March. School recess, testing and choice are expected to be hot topics. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendent search: The Sarasota County School Board is weighing the recorded opinions of the community as it prepares to select a new superintendent at today's meeting. The finalists are Todd Bowden, the executive director of Career, Technical and Adult Education for the district; Brennan Asplen III, St. Johns County deputy superintendent; and Mark Porter, Monroe County superintendent. Superintendent Lori White is retiring in February. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Early degrees: About eight Florida Atlantic University High School students finish high school with a bachelor's degree each year. The Boca Raton school is believed to be the only one in the United States where students can earn a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree at the same time. Associated Press.
Tweet trouble: The Miami-Dade Schools Police Department wants to be more active on Twitter. So a half-dozen people in the department were given the account password and encouraged to tweet. Now the department is having to explain why it's published tweets from Donald Trump criticizing President Obama's Cuba policies, promoting National Drink Beer Day and wondering if marijuana oil is the female Viagra. Miami Herald.
Teacher job security: Thirty-eight school districts in Florida are finding ways to provide job security for teachers that disappeared when Gov. Rick Scott signed a law eliminating tenure in 2011. Pinellas County plans to join that group this week when teachers vote on a proposal to ensure contract renewal for teachers rated effective or highly effective. Tampa Bay Times.
Anti-charter: The NAACP board approves a resolution calling for a calling for a “moratorium on the proliferation of privately managed charter schools.” The civil rights organization has long been an opponent of charter schools, arguing that they represent a privatization of public education. redefinED.
Graduation rates: U.S. high school graduation rates hit a record 83.2 percent in the 2014-2015 school year, according to the White House. Associated Press. (more…)
Some schools still closed: Communities along Florida's east coast are recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew last week, and schools in several districts remain closed today. Florida Times-Union. WJCT. WJXT. WJAX. Florida Today. Palm Beach Post. WFTV. St. Augustine Record. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Fernandina Beach News-Leader. TCPalm. Palm Coast Observer. WWSB. The National Guard is helping get schools ready for the return of students. Associated Press. Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa says the district will come up with a new half-day plan for possible use in future emergencies. Avossa drew some criticism last week when he declined to cancel the scheduled half-day Wednesday as Matthew was approaching the coast. Avossa said the logistics of arranging for buses would have been impossible. Palm Beach Post. Miami-Dade students are helping with hurricane relief efforts for Haiti. WSVN.
Makeup days: Some students may not have to make up the days lost when Hurricane Matthew struck last week. The state requires schools to have 180 days of classes, but that can be cut to as few as 170 if school districts have enough extra time built into their days. Sun-Sentinel. In several central Florida counties, makeup days are already scheduled. Orlando Sentinel.
Rookie teachers: Hillsborough County school officials are struggling to correct the longstanding problem of low-income schools having the least experienced teachers. An analysis shows that the district's seven designated "Elevate" schools have low-income rates of 88 percent or higher, and 11 percent to 47 percent of the teachers are starting their first year. At several other schools with low-income rates ranging from 11 percent to 24 percent, first-year teachers make up 5 percent or less of all teachers. Tampa Bay Times. The Pinellas teachers union and the school district collaborate to provide mentoring to first-year teachers. Tampa Bay Times. Twelve percent of all public school teachers are in their first or second year, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data. Education Week. (more…)
Matthew's impact: As Hurricane Matthew works its way up Florida's east coast, many of the state's school districts remain closed today. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. WUSF. WFLA. WTSP. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Ocala Star Banner. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daily Commercial. WCTV.
Charter schools: Just a week after the U.S. Department of Education announces it will make $245 million available for the expansion of charter schools, an audit raises concerns about ties between some charter school boards and management companies that run their schools. Charter groups acknowledge some of the problems, but point out that some charter organizations show strong outcomes for low-income students. U.S. News & World Report.
Consequences of a tweet: A St. Petersburg high school senior who sent a "joke" tweet now wishes he hadn't. Luke Boswell inserted a clown photo into a tweet to his friends Monday. It was quickly passed around Northeast High School, spooking students and drawing attention from the police. Boswell was suspended for a day and lost his spot on the homecoming court. "If I could take this back, I would in a heartbeat," Boswell says. Tampa Bay Times.
Prepaid enrollment: The Florida Prepaid College Board approves college savings plan prices for the 2016-2017 open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Feb. 28, 2017. Florida Prepaid College Board. (more…)
