A Wisconsin-based religious rights group has urged the FHSAA to stick to its guns as it faces a possible lawsuit over its refusal to allow Cambridge Christian School to pray over the stadium loudspeakers before a recent state football championship game. Calling the FHSAA’s move “legal and wise,” the Freedom From Religion Foundation praised the…
Florida superintendents are going on defense to protect their locally generated tax revenue that’s dedicated to school maintenance, construction and other capital projects. The district leaders, who have met the past three days in Tallahassee, are growing increasingly concerned that state lawmakers will target the tax as a source of regular revenue for charter schools.…
This Video Update features FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina giving a quick recap on several bills that moved through the committee process last week, including SB 886 / HB 669 relating to Public School Choice and HB 7029 / SB 830 relating to Charter Schools. These and other bills will be discussed in depth during FSBA’s…
In recent days, the Florida House and Senate have released their initial education budget proposals. Both chambers seek to up the ante beyond Gov. Rick Scott’s plan, with the Senate looking to cut local property tax contributions and put the state on the hook for the amount, instead. The House plan aims to increase the base student allocation by more…
A comprehensive education reform package — which includes controversial bonuses for K-12 schoolteachers based on how well they did on the ACT/SAT — cleared its only House committee on Thursday and is headed to the chamber floor for consideration. Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, is the lead sponsor ofHouse Bill 7043 — a work product of the House Education…
1. US DOE warns states of test opt-outs: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/28/u-s-education-department-threatens-to-sanction-states-over-test-opt-outs/ 2. Potential governance change to Florida school districts: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article56148045.html 3. SAT redesigned: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/01/22/463635963/a-history-of-the-sat-in-four-questions 4. OneNote add-ons could be game changers: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2016/01/25/learning-tools-for-microsoft-onenote-may-be-one-of-the-most-disruptive-education-technologies-yet/#795f3d375352 5. Hand writing aids learning: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/handwriting-helps-you-learn-2014-12
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 257 – Terroristic Threats by Smith – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Provides that a person commits the crime of terroristic threats if he or she threatens to…
With Florida leading the nation in new HIV infections, Democratic lawmakers say now more than ever the Legislature should do away with what’s commonly referred to as “abstinence-only” sex education in the state’s 4,300 public schools. Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, and Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, are the leading sponsors of what they’ve dubbed the “Florida Healthy Adolescence Act” (SB…
A new statewide poll commissioned by the Florida Charter School Alliance finds significant support for charter schools — including support for a statewide authorizer, one of the alliance’s top legislative priorities this year that school districts fear would take away local authority over public education. The Herald/Times was given a copy of the poll results ahead of their…
The Florida House unveiled a$1 billion tax-cut packageWednesday — similar in size to what Gov. Rick Scott wants, but a lot less permanent. The House steers clear of the centerpiece of the Republican governor’s plan — a $770 million reduction in the corporate income tax paid by manufacturers and retailers. Instead, House Finance and Tax Chairman Matt…