Florida School Boards Association
After two hours of discussion Thursday, Kim McDougal was enthusiastic. “It’s a great day,” the former chief of staff and top education adviser to Gov. Rick Scott told colleagues attending Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis’ education transition team meeting. “We’re moving from school choice to informed, high quality school choice,” she said. Read More
The commission investigating Florida’s Parkland shooting recommended Wednesday that trained and willing educators be allowed to carry guns in schools, reigniting a debate about an idea President Donald Trump had embraced earlier this year.Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the high-profile commission, suggested the idea late Wednesday as the panel worked to finalize a…
Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis’ Transition Team announced this week’s meeting schedule for his Transition Advisory Committees. A public conference call number will be made available on DeSantisTransition.com before the meetings for members of the public and news media who would like to listen in. Read More
Public school advocates don’t like what they see and hear coming out of Tallahassee.Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis’s selection of Richard Corcoran as his choice to be the next Education Commissioner and the appointment of two pro-charter school lawmakers – with questionable credentials, according to their critics – have led public education allies on the left and…
While speculation swirls over who he wants to be Florida’s next education commissioner, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced his 41-person team to develop a plan aimed at implementing his education goals. The list includes a broad cross-section of the state’s education advocacy groups, representing everything from district public schools to home schools. Some of…
Pam Stewart, Florida’s education commissioner since 2013, announced her resignation Tuesday as speculation swirled that Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis sought to replace her with former House Speaker Richard Corcoran. In a letter to State Board of Education chairwoman Marva Johnson, Stewart said she would return to her original plan to retire on Jan. 8. Read More
Lawmakers are facing an end-of-the-year traffic jam with legislation piling up and a tight schedule that leaves them little wiggle room. Leadership is juggling a backlog of must-pass bills and nominations as well as eleventh-hour requests from rank-and-file members as legislators try to cram as much as possible into the final days of the work…
Former State House Speaker Richard Corcoran is likely to be tapped by Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis as Florida’s next commissioner of education, according to an education industry source familiar with the conversations. Read More
The idea of arming teachers—or loosening state restrictions to allow concealed-carry permit holders to bring guns into schools—is often circulated after school attacks. It gained attention after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 and was revived in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…
A fight over education policy is brewing at the Capitol. It pits supporters of traditional public schools against advocates for more school choice. With new leaders in place, the Florida House and Senate will be the battleground for the contest over the state’s educational future. Each chamber will have its own distinct ideas about how…