Recess bill won’t get Senate hearing, Education Committee chairman says

Sorry, recess moms. The push to mandate 20 minutes of daily recess in Florida’s elementary schools, which passed three House committees without opposition, won’t be heard by the Senate Education Committee this session. “I am not going to put it on the agenda,” committee chairman Sen. John Legg told the Gradebook. “It doesn’t merit a Tallahassee solution.”…

FSBA #FridayFive – Week of Feb. 8, 2016

1.    Online learning is here to stay:  http://www.kpk12.com/wp-content/uploads/Evergreen_KeepingPace_2015.pdf 2.    Education may cut dementia risk:  http://www.techtimes.com/articles/132727/20160211/can-education-reduce-alzheimers-risk-study-finds-link-between-dementia-and-high-school-diploma.htm 3.    Low performing students:  why they fall behind and how to help them succeed:http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/Low-performers-infographic-EN.pdf 4.    2016 Florida Tax Handbook released:http://edr.state.fl.us/content/revenues/reports/tax-handbook/taxhandbook2016.pdf 5.    King officially nominated as Education Secretary by Obama:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/02/11/obama-to-nominate-john-b-king-jr-to-officially-take-the-role-of-education-secretary/  

Rep. Fresen’s close ties to charter schools continue to raise questions of conflict

TALLAHASSEE – A familiar face is back at the center of a perennial tug-of-war in the Florida Legislature between privately-managed charter schools and district-run public schools over taxpayer money for construction projects: Erik Fresen, the Miami Republican who controls the purse for education funding in the Florida House. His connections to the charter school industry…

Still waiting for Florida’s 2015 school grades?

The newest Florida school grading formula became official on Tuesday, and state education officials indicated that 2015 school grades based on the formula would follow soon after. Many people expected the results, which will look much like a simulation released in December, on Tuesday concurrent with the new rule taking effect. Thursday morning, however, found school district officials…

FSBA Daily Updates: Legislative Session 02-10-2016

TODAY’S HAPPENINGS [NOTE:  The bills and committees listed below are linked to their respective websites where you can find additional information.] In the House Judiciary Committee: HB 11 – Missing Persons with Special Needs by Porter – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Creates pilot projects in specified counties to provide personal devices to aid search-and-rescue efforts…