A bill to give Florida school district residents even more say in the selection of textbooks and instructional materials easily passed its first House committee on Wednesday, with just one member opposed. Sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, cast HB 827 as essentially a clarifying measure to his 2017 legislation, which gave residents more opportunities…
Next week, the Florida Board of Education is set to take up much-anticipated rules rolling out the welcome mat for prospective Schools of Hope. The goal is to attract more proven national charter school organizations into disadvantaged neighborhoods with low-performing schools. The draft rule would offer three ways for charter school organizations to qualify as “Hope…
There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings and on the chamber floors today. Among the issues addressed today were elections, public records and public meetings, workers’ compensation, local government ethics and accountability, post-secondary education, and fiscal literacy. Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these…
There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings today. These bills address public records and meetings, the McKay Scholarship program, students with disabilities, the Florida Price Level Index, graduation requirements, instructional materials, and impact fees. Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these bills and to…
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran says he won’t raise taxes—either directly or indirectly. Corcoran took aim at the Florida Senate, stating he will also fight any plan that allows an increase in property tax revenue through higher property values to be counted toward public school funding. Read More
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…