Just like finals week, lawmakers cram on school policies — from testing to recess

With two days left for lawmakers to enact policy this session, two Republican senators late Wednesday released what’s essentially a brand new bill that salvages myriad stalled education proposals while also preserving one of the Legislature’s top K-12 priorities: reforms addressing excessive standardized testing in Florida public schools.  Sens. Anitere Flores of Miami and Kelli…

FSBA Session Spotlight — May 1, 2017

If legislators hope to adjourn as scheduled on Friday, the Conference Report on the state budget must be published sometime tomorrow (Tuesday) to allow for the constitutionally required 72-hour “cooling off period” before a vote can be taken on the passage of the budget bill. There are several major budget issues that appear to be…

Florida Senate advances controversial Title I school funding bill, worrying district leaders

Proposed dramatic changes to the way Florida schools get and use federal Title I funding gained support in the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, paving the way for their likely adoption into law. Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who heads the state superintendents association, tried to kill the language, which came from a…

As clock ticks, lawmakers’ compromises on education policy remain a mystery

With barely three days left before lawmakers have to finalize the annual state budget if session is to end as scheduled May 5, Floridians still have very little idea what kind of compromise lawmakers are crafting behind closed doors when it comes to the most consequential reforms this year that affect K-12 public schools. Read…