DeSantis names wide-ranging education transition committee

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…

Florida education commissioner Pam Stewart resigns

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

Clock ticks down on GOP Congress

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…

Should Teachers Carry Guns? The Debate, Explained

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…

Education fault lines separate Florida House, Senate

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…

Friday Five – 11/23/2018

Each week, Executive Director Andrea Messina selects 5 Things You Should Know in education news.  Read. Learn. Share. Retweet. National Geographic’s first Thanksgiving resources: Learn more Task students with taking a topic, a lesson, or a unit they are interested in and turn it into a podcast: Learn more Top Tech trends for 2019 in education:…