Senate panel temporarily pulls plug on school board term limit bill

A bill that would impose term limits on local school board members stalled in a Senate panel on Wednesday. Sen. Dennis Baxley’s bill (SJR 274) proposes a constitutional amendment on the question, requiring a statewide approval of 60% to be added to the state’s governing document.  But the need for a statewide vote on a…

School districts, charters, sheriffs. Who decides if teachers can be armed?

The Florida Senate didn’t have a formal vote on the bill that would allow classroom teachers to be armed on Wednesday, but they did adopt a major amendment that could settle one of the biggest lingering questions of the debate: who gets to decide if teachers in a school can be armed? Read More

School safety bill would arm teachers. But what else does it do?

Florida’s school safety bill has divided Republicans and Democrats over the issue of allowing classroom teachers to carry guns on campus.  But as the bill heads for a vote by the full Senate, other provisions dealing with mental health, campus crime reporting and active shooter policies have broad bipartisan support. Despite what both parties view as…

FSBA Session Summary — April 17, 2019

Today’s agenda includes both House and Senate floor sessions followed by a Senate committee meeting. Of particular interest, during the Senate Session, the Senate will consider its school safety bill (which has now been renamed “Implementation of Legislative Recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Public Safety Commission”) – on 2nd Reading.  Several amendments have…

School referendum funding bill heads to Florida House floor with some changes

The Florida House bill that would require school districts that have had successful voter referendums to share their additional funding with charter schools passed its final committee in the House on Tuesday, with a few significant changes. Its next stop is the House floor.  Under this bill, House Bill 7123, districts whose voters approved a…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 16, 2019

As we begin the seventh week of the Legislative Session, please take a few minutes to watch our FSBA Week 6 Video Update featuring FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina providing a recap of the main events during the sixth week of the Session.  In addition, this is a good time to provide a quick update…

Florida School Boards join state leaders in Tallahassee

Over 150 school board members from across the state recently convened in Tallahassee to participate in leadership development training, legislative briefings, and advocacy sessions to prepare for visits to the Capitol.To kick off the week, over 45 school board members elected in 2018 attended the second installment of New School Board Member Academy. They were…

Justices to hear Parkland liability dispute

The Florida Supreme Court said Friday it will hear arguments in a dispute about how much the Broward County School Board could be forced to pay to parents and victims in last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  Justices issued a unanimous order saying they will take up the case and will…

FSBA Friday Five – April 12, 2019

5 Things You Should Know in Education News When Will K-12 Classrooms Scrap Those Age-Old, Rigid Desk-Chairs? CTE classes are popular but do they lead to jobs in the nations biggest industries? Educators are ready to innovate. Is your system? Teaching historical inquiry through media literacy and critical thinking Books that inspire kids to become…