Several parents who oppose standardized-testing requirements in public schools are taking their battle to the Florida Supreme Court. The parents last week filed a notice that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to overturn a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal in a case related to what is known as…
Florida lawmakers could overhaul the state’s testing system this year, cutting the number of exams students take and reducing the impact it has on public schools. Or they could tweak it, shifting testing to later in the school year and studying whether national exams — such as the ACT and SAT — could in a…
House and Senate leaders began laying down markers for budget negotiations, ahead of votes this week that could begin the process of hammering out a compromise on the state spending plan for the year beginning July 1. The back-and-forth began as the chambers stand roughly $4 billion apart, with sizable differences on spending for public…
Florida has channeled billions of taxpayer dollars into scholarships for poor children to attend private schools over the past 15 years, using tax credits to build a laboratory for school choice that the Trump administration holds up as a model for the nation. The voucherlike program, the largest of its kind in the country, helps…
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran wants nonprofits that have operated high-performing charter schools in other states to replicate their success here. To that end, he’s made them an offer: $200 million to cover facilities costs, personnel and specialized educational offerings, plus a wish list of statutory and regulatory changes designed to help them prosper. But…
A bill that would expand two of the state’s school-choice programs is heading to the House floor after gaining approval Thursday from the House Education Committee. The proposal (HB 15), sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, was amended Thursday to add back provisions that would expand the reach of the Gardiner Scholarship program, aimed…
Tallahassee, FL – Week 5 of the Florida Legislative Session has come to an end. Watch this FSBA Legislative Weekly Update for highlights, and visit the FSBA Session Spotlight Blog and 2017 Legislative Session page for in-depth summaries, resources, and analyses.
This week marks the mid-point of the Legislative Session and has brought attention to key bills that directly address the priorities identified in the FSBA 2017 Legislative Platform: assessment and accountability, education funding, and capital outlay funding. During this very hectic week, the Senate Education Committee took up SB 926 relating to K-12 Student Assessments…
Port St. Joe – Billy Quinn, Danny Little and Cindy Belin of the Gulf County School Board joined over 130 school board members, district superintendents, and other education leaders in Tallahassee March 29-31 to participate in the Florida School Boards Association’s 30th Annual Day in the Legislature Conference and Board of Directors’ Meeting. Read More
The Senate and House Appropriations Committees reviewed and amended their respective proposed state budgets today. In the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting, there were more than 120 amendments filed with about 30 of these proposed amendments relating to education. The majority of the education related amendments revised non-FEFP allocations and the remaining few focused on post-secondary…