Florida School Boards Association
As Florida prepares for the arrival of medical marijuana, the Miami-Dade School Board is urging lawmakers to keep cannabis away from school children — unless they have a prescription. At a meeting on Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to call on the Florida Legislature to ban medical marijuana dispensaries within 2,500 feet of schools if they…
For the first time in 20 years, Florida embarks on a constitutionally mandated update of the state Constitution next year and, if Florida’s top Republican officials have their way, they will use the process to overturn the most controversial rulings of the state’s high court — on education spending, private school vouchers and political redistricting.…
The Republican Party has a firm grip on the Florida statehouse, but voters could be disappointed if they expect the 2017 legislative session to hum along like a finely-tuned sports car. Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, may enjoy comfortable margins in their chambers, but the two…
The Florida Legislature entered a strange new world Tuesday as the incoming House speaker condemned the power of lobbyists and demanded changes in spending that will face resistance from the Senate and Gov. Rick Scott. In his inaugural speech as speaker, Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, railed against a Capitol dominated by lobbyists and politically wired…
A week after Florida voters elected them, 66 new state lawmakers — who make up 40 percent of the entire Legislature — will be in Tallahassee on Tuesday for training and orientation. More than a third of the 120-member House and half of the 40-member Senate are new to their legislative seats for 2017. Many have held elected…
Republican President-elect Donald Trump spoke about education only in broad terms on the campaign trail, leaving plenty of uncertainty about how his administration now intends to handle policy questions ranging from standardized testing and school accountability to the treatment of transgender students. But Trump’s stunning election is likely to mean a clear contrast with some key…
Ready to formally take charge of the Florida House this month, incoming Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, on Wednesday named 11 lawmakers to his leadership team. The announcement came after Tuesday’s elections ensured that all of Corcoran’s choices, including the chairmen of nine committees, would return to the House for the next two years.…
When Florida’s 120 newly elected members of the state House of Representatives go to Tallahassee later this month, they will be asked to put down their cell phones. The incoming House speaker wants to an impose a ban on texting while legislating. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, says the new rule banning lobbyists from texting…
Tips for Reaching Consensus on Your Board Present your position as lucidly and logically as possible. Consider other members’ reactions. Avoid arguing solely for your idea. Postponement of decisions to reconsider and work through the issues can be vital to the process. Do not assume that someone must win and someone must lose when discussion reaches…
The U.S. Department of Education released today non-regulatory guidance to help ensure young children from birth through third-grade get the strong start they need to achieve success in school and in life. This is the Department’s first comprehensive look at how the nation’s new education law supports our youngest learners. Read full article