Florida students make significant improvement on statewide assessments

The Department of Education today announced that scores on the 2017 statewide, standardized assessments are on the rise and that students narrowed the achievement gap across multiple subjects and grades.  Governor Rick Scott said, “Today’s announcement is great news for Florida’s students and demonstrates that Florida’s dedicated teachers coupled with our continued focus on education…

FSBA Session Spotlight — June 7, 2017

As had been requested by FSBA and other education groups, Governor Scott vetoed the FEFP portion of the state budget and called on legislators to increase total FEFP funding per student by $100 over the current year (2016-2017) level.   Florida’s Legislature convened in Special Session 2017-A on Wednesday to address this K-12 funding issue as…

Miami-Dade Republican: I’m ‘not comfortable’ with more K-12 funding without changing HB 7069

Hialeah Republican Sen. René García told Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, in a letter today that he’s “not comfortable supporting any compromise” on increasing K-12 funding for 2017-18 that does not also address a controversial education policy bill that awaits Gov. Rick Scott‘s approval.  García was one of three Senate Republicans to vote against HB 7069…

Will the Florida Legislature’s special session end with compromise or more confusion?

When lawmakers open a special session Wednesday afternoon, they’ll be under a tight, three-day time limit to increase education spending and create a new economic development program for the governor.  The deal was inked behind closed doors last week by Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron in an effort…

Despite extra dollars for schools, controversial bill remains a concern for many

Advocates of traditional public education welcomed Gov. Rick Scott’s demand on Friday that lawmakers redo the K-12 education budget for next year and boost it with $215 million in additional spending.  But school superintendents, teachers union leaders and others cautioned that those added dollars won’t be good enough if Scott intends to also sign House…