FSBA Session Spotlight — January 9, 2018

The Legislature convened the 2018 Legislative Session today with much of the traditional ceremony. In their respective chambers, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran both offered comments highlighting legislative successes in the 2017 Session and outlining in their priorities for the 2018 Session.  In his remarks, President Negron touched on several issues…

Republican senator proposes more oversight for state voucher schools

Sen. David Simmons, a veteran Republican lawmaker, is pushing for higher standards for the thousands of private schools that take nearly $1 billion in state scholarships, aiming to reduce potential waste and improve the quality of education at some schools.  Among the most significant changes proposed by Simmons in a bill he filed Friday is…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 8, 2017

The 2018 Legislative Session will convene tomorrow, January 9, 2017. As usual, we are resuming our daily online reports and weekly video updates on legislative and related activities.  In addition, we have created or updated a number of publications and online resources to assist you in your advocacy efforts.  To stay current on legislative activities…

Florida’s Tight Finances Could Spark Budget Battle This Year

Despite a growing economy, the Republican-led Florida Legislature could wind up spending the next two months in yet another round of bruising budget battles.  Florida legislators will enter the 2018 session that kicks off Tuesday with some simple math problems: more money is coming in, but the push for increased spending – coupled with years…

Alternatives to traditional grading standards

A Florida lawmaker is looking to give school districts in the state new alternatives to traditional grading standards.  This would allow districts to create new letter grade interpretations and give students the option of displaying mastery of a subject in lieu of traditional credit hour requirements.  The Competency-Based Education Pilot Program was implemented in five…

Legislative Weekly – 2018 Session Kickoff

Tallahassee, FL – With Florida’s 2018 Legislative Session kicking off next week, Executive Director Andrea Messina provides members with an overview of what’s to come. Be sure visit the FSBA Session Spotlight Blog and 2018 Legislative Session page for in-depth summaries, resources, and analyses.

What percentage of education funding should Florida’s state government provide?

The dispute could not be more stark.  Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Senate have pushed to allow local tax collections to rise with the increasing value of property, as a way to grow education funding. Just leaving the tax rate alone looks to generate about a half-billion dollars more for local coffers.  House leadership…