Irma delays financial aid selection for Florida’s struggling schools

Some of Florida’s lowest-performing traditional public schools will have to wait a bit longer to find out if they’ll be among the 25 schools that will get financial help through a new state program called “Schools of Hope.”  The State Board of Education was supposed to meet in Tallahassee on Wednesday to select the recipients…

Irma may affect voices of Florida taxpayers

Hurricane Irma could delay some Florida taxpayers’ voices from being heard.  It’s an unavoidable case of timing. The powerful hurricane bore down on the state as cities, counties, school boards and other taxing bodies were scheduling two public hearings required by law before they can set property tax rates for the new fiscal year. Read…

Across Florida, Schools Transform Into Shelters To Save Those In Hurricane Irma’s Crosshairs

A makeshift sign hanging from a fence outside of New Renaissance Middle School warned residents seeking last minute shelter from Hurricane Irma that the school’s gym had reached its capacity and couldn’t accept any more people. Outside, nearly 160 cars filled the school’s main parking lot. Inside, hundreds of people had gathered. Read More

Trump Cancels DACA, Impacting Tens of Thousands of Students and Teachers

President Donald Trump will end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that gives protection to an estimated 800,000 immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the order to end DACA Tuesday morning at the U.S. Department of Justice. The decision leaves the undocumented residents, an…

Corcoran pledges to stay ‘on offense’ during 2018 legislative session

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran declared Tuesday during a swing through Southwest Florida that he’s planning to stay “on offense” during the 2018 legislative session, potentially foreshadowing another contentious year in the Legislature. Referencing a controversial education bill passed this year that is being challenged in court, Corcoran told the Charlotte-DeSoto County Republican Club that…

How to fix failing schools? Miami-Dade seeks $2.3 million in teacher bonuses to do it

How do you fix struggling schools? One idea: Pay teachers more.  Teacher bonuses are among several ideas the Miami-Dade and Broward school districts have proposed as they compete for additional funding through a controversial new state program designed to rehabilitate Florida’s lowest performing schools while potentially supplanting them with privately run charters. Read More