Florida was ill-prepared for a major hurricane, audit warned

2017 Legislative Session, 2018 Legislative Session, Advocacy, Governance, Health, In the News

Long before Florida entered the deadliest hurricane season in a decade, auditors at the state’s Division of Emergency Management sent out a warning: the state was ill-prepared for a major disaster.  A 23-page annual audit completed in December 2016 by the agency’s inspector general detailed a lengthy list of deficiencies needed to prepare and respond…

Hundreds of Florida schools to get added flexibility from some state rules

2018 Legislative Session, Accountability, Advocacy, In the News, Legislation, School Governance

Aiming to reward the state’s top performing schools with fewer mandates, the Florida Legislature added a section into HB 7069 last spring creating the “Schools of Excellence” designation.  This week, 640 schools from 44 counties, including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando, will learn that they landed in that new category.  Three lab schools also will…