FSBA Session Spotlight — April 3, 2019

Today’s agenda includes consideration of several bills of interest including bills relating to health and mental health, curriculum, early learning, hurricane recovery, school choice, and government accountability. Today’s schedule is posted below and will be updated to show the outcome as soon as possible (please forgive any delays in our reporting this week while we…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 2, 2019

Today’s agenda includes consideration of several bills of interest including bills relating to health and mental health, curriculum, early learning, hurricane recovery, school choice, and government accountability. Today’s schedule is posted below and will be updated to show the outcome on these bills after each meeting concludes.   [toggle title=”Committee/Subcommittee Meetings – April 2, 2019“]…

When it comes to school safety, the question is: Where are all the school counselors?

In the old days, a guidance counselor would work mostly in high schools, helping students set up their class schedules and decide what they’ll do after graduation.  But today’s school counselors have broader responsibilities, including being trained to recognize mental health issues in students before a crisis occurs.  The counselors play an integral role, but…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 1, 2019

We look forward to working with school board members who will be in Tallahassee this week for the FSBA Annual Day in the Legislature. To assist you in making the most of your time in Tallahassee, we urge attendees to carefully review our “Know B4 UGo” information and the materials in the “Preparation Activities and…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 28, 2019

Today’s agenda is fairly brief, but several bills of interest will be considered including, among others, bills relating to school board term limits, civics education, early learning, and government accountability. Today’s schedule is posted below and is updated to show the outcome on these bills after each meeting concludes. Please note that all of the…

FSBA Session Spotlight — March 27, 2019

Today, the House and Senate Appropriations committees will take up their proposed budgets, implementing bills, and conforming bills and will consider any amendments to them. We have prepared a side-by-side comparison of the education funding portions of the House and Senate appropriations bills as they stand today before consideration by the Appropriations Committee meetings. Please…

Should parents be able to ‘opt out’ their children from having an armed teacher?

A bill that would allow classroom teachers to carry guns passed yet another committee Tuesday in the Florida Senate along party lines, leaving it with just one more committee in each chamber before it reaches the floor.  But amidst the emotional debate surrounding the bill, a new idea emerged that caught the attention of a prominent…

Travis Cummings sees education funding as budget skirmish

Expect money for education to be heavily contested during budget conferencing and negotiations of the later days of Session.  That’s according to House Appropriations Chair Travis Cummings, who spoke to Florida Politics about the spending plan he believes his committee will forward on Wednesday to the House floor next week. The House and Senate late last week released initial…