Citing a 55 percent decrease in teacher certification approvals since 2017, Florida education commissioner Richard Corcoran announced on Tuesday steps to speed the process and get more educators approved. In an after-hours press statement, Corcoran announced he had moved six employees to the Bureau of Educator Certification to reduce the backlog of unprocessed applications. Read…
Twenty-four credits. A grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Passing scores on the state’s Algebra I and 10th grade reading tests, or their alternatives. Most Florida teenagers know that list: They’re the requirements to earn a standard diploma from a public high school. But are they the right ones? Read More
Most of the 3rd week of Legislative Interim Committee Meetings provided presentations on the implementation of legislation that passed during the 2018 Legislative Session. Of particular interest were presentations to both the House and Senate Committees on the implementation of SB 7026 – last year’s school safety bill. Please click on the files below for a summary of…
The chairman of the state’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is making some claims about local school districts that one state senator calls “disturbing” if they are true. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who chairs the commission, testified before the Senate and House Education committees on Tuesday and accused school districts of…
When Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stood up to give his presentation to the House Education committee on Tuesday, he had harsh words for school districts whom he said are “not moving fast enough” and are “playing games” with SB 7026, the law passed last year in response to the Parkland shooting that mandated sweeping…
Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for an end to the waitlist for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, which offers private school scholarships to low-income K-12 students throughout the state. The scholarship has a waitlist in 2019 of nearly 13,000 students. “I would like to eliminate the waitlist so every parent has the ability to make…
A trip to the water fountain after lunch or recess may seem innocuous for students. But Florida legislators are concerned with what may be in the water. A bill introduced by Sens. Janet Cruz, Lauren Book and Annette Taddeo would require public schools to filter drinking water at the source on campuses built before 1986. The filters would…
School districts in Northwest Florida and across the state are struggling to find certified teachers in several crucial subject areas. The State Board of Education approved a report last week that details a shortage of certified educators in public schools, mainly in math, science and English. The shortage isn’t exclusive to Florida; it has been…
The State Board of Education had its first and only meeting before the Legislative session begins in March and the board members indicated that they hope lawmakers revisit some of the most heated issues in education. School safety was constantly mentioned as a top priority for this year, by all members but especially by Andrew…
With the annual legislative session nearing, lawmakers and education leaders likely will have to grapple with the fallout of Hurricane Michael on Northwest Florida school districts and continued questions about how to bolster school safety throughout the state. Those issues drew discussion Wednesday during a State Board of Education meeting in Pensacola that also included…