The Legislature adjourned, sine die, at 10:40 pm on Friday evening after the usual flurry of last minute amendments and bill swapping. Today’s most compelling education related bill activity revolves around SB 1512 relating to the expansion of the Tax Credit Scholarship Program and the creation of a new voucher program for students with disabilities. …
In the last Video Update for this Legislative Session, Dr. Wayne Blanton discusses the highlights of the education budget and the status of key bills that have passed, failed, or are still in play. Dr. Blanton noted that SB 1642relating to the transition to new state standards and assessments and SB 864 relating to adoption…
Florida school districts won’t have to select their own textbooks next year. Lawmakers had proposed shifting the responsibility from the state Department of Education to local school boards — an idea that came into being after Volusia County parents complained about a textbook they considered pro-Islamic. Read full article
A bill that expands Florida’s Tax-Credit Scholarship program — which provides kids from low-income families scholarship vouchers they use to attend private school — likely will get a vote today in the Florida Senate. A collection of advocacy groups, including the Florida PTA and Orlando-based Fund Education Now, is urging a “no” vote, arguing the program diverts public money to private schools…
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the Senate Session: Bills on 2nd Reading SB 1512 – Education / Scholarship Programs by Stargel – READ 2ND TIME; RETAINED ON CALENDAR Authorizing the Auditor General to conduct audits of the accounts and records of nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations; establishing the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts; revising eligibility requirements for the Florida…
Now, in the final week of the session, lawmakers have about $1.2 billion in surplus, bonus money that can go pretty much anywhere they choose. That fact has stirred loose an avalanche of hometown projects, the likes of which Tallahassee hasn’t seen in an election year since 2006. “Think about it: What’s the average size…
TALLAHASSEE — A measure aimed at streamlining the state’s school-grading system and pausing the most serious consequences for some schools is one step away from Gov. Rick Scott’s desk. The Republican-controlled House readied the bill (SB 1642) for passage Tuesday, batting away complaints from Democrats that the proposal still doesn’t give schools enough time to…
BUDGET UPDATE The Conference Report on the 2014-2015 state budget was delivered to legislators last night at about 8:30 pm. The budget totals more than $77 billion and provides more than $18.88 billion in total FEFP funding (an increase of 3.14% over the current year). This will provide total FEFP funding per student of $6,937.23…
Education policymakers today insist that teachers, principals and schools must be “held accountable.” You would assume, then, that they would take every opportunity to ensure that all students who are educated with public money take the all-important standardized tests that are used as the chief accountability metric and that can determine how much educators are…
WASHINGTON — Researchers say the latest data on high school graduation rates is a positive sign, but there is always room for improvement. Federal statistics from 2012 show the graduation rate has reached 80 percent. Even so, 1 in 5 students are still not getting a diploma. However, researchers predict the improvement will continue, and…