Nearly 30 education-related topics — including some of the most high-profile and contentious policies discussed this year — have been folded into two bills that the Florida Senate’s budget committee approved Thursday. Niceville Republican Sen. Don Gaetz proposed sweeping rewrites of two of his bills in order to give House and Senate priorities a better chance at…
FSBA LEGISLATIVE REVIEW WORKSHOPS AND WEBINARS After the 2016 Legislative Session adjourns, FSBA will be conducting a series of Legislative Session Review Workshops and Webinars for school board members, superintendents, district staff, and any other interested parties. Our on-site Workshops and on-line Webinars provide a comprehensive analysis of education appropriations and detailed summaries of the education related…
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the House Session: Bills on 3rd Reading: HB 7107 – Public Employees / Retirement by State Affairs – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE Authorizes renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees who are reemployed in position eligible for Elected Officers’ Class; provides for renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees of Senior Management…
TALLAHASSEE — Still trying to work out differences on key issues such as tax cuts and economic-incentives funding, House and Senate leaders have not made enough progress to begin formal negotiations on a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. “I’d say we’re making some progress, but we’re not there yet,” Senate Appropriations…
The Florida Standards Assessment is only two years old, but some state lawmakers are already looking for another option to test Florida’s students on what they’ve learned during the school year. Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is leading the charge in the Florida Legislature to allow school districts to choose other types of standardized tests —…
We often hear the terms “good governance” or “effective governance,” but what exactly does that mean? Nearly everyone recognizes bad governance when they see it. Bad governance is when board members operate independently of each other. We see bad governance when board members try to control the superintendent and their staff. Board members practicing bad…
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the House Session: Bills on 2nd Reading: HB 7107 – Public Employees / Retirement by State Affairs – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16 Authorizes renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees who are reemployed in position eligible for Elected Officers’ Class; provides for renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees of…
STATUS REPORT ON EDUCATION LEGISLATION As background, it is important to remember that, in order to be passed, a bill must undergo 3 Readings. The 1stReading occurs with the bill is introduced and its title is published in the chamber’s journal. The bill then is referred to 2-4 committees/subcommittees for consideration – these are called the bill’s…
Under the guise of school choice, the Florida House is pushing ahead with three bad bills that would benefit charter schools and yet again damage traditional public schools. The priorities are upside-down, and the Senate should stick up for local control and a fairer distribution of tax money to public education. The first example of…
This Video Update features FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina reporting on issues impacting the Legislature as we enter the last weeks of the 2016 Session, including a few education related bills that appear to be off the table for the rest of this legislative session. Ms. Messina also discusses HB 287 / SB 434 relating to…