Gov. Ron DeSantis made no secret of his desire to have Florida become first in the nation when it comes to workforce preparation. Even before he receives a bill (HB 7071) aiming the state in that direction, DeSantis is likely to see his goal move closer to reality through some executive moves in the Department…
Florida, as we know, is decidedly not California. The two coastal giants, Nos. 3 and 1 among states in population, are competing for congressional seats and federal funding in the 2020 Census, and they’re going about it differently. California has budgeted more than $100 million and has more than two dozen people working to reach…
We are pleased to announce the publication of the FSBA 2019 Legislative Session Summary. Our Summary provides an in-depth analysis of the education related funding in the state budget and detailed summaries of the education related bills passed during the session. We will update our Summary if, during the coming days, Governor DeSantis chooses to…
The 2019 Legislative Session has adjourned, sine die, with public education enjoying some important victories in education funding and policy, but also enduring some significant disappointments. We are still sorting through the final bill actions, including the status of last minute amendments to the bills that are of interest, but we have provided a PRELIMINARY…
As we count down the final days of the 2019 Session, we have begun compiling our FSBA 2019 Legislative Session Summary and, after the Legislative Session adjourns, we will conduct a series of onsite and online Legislative Session Review Workshops and Webinars. These Workshops and Webinars provide a comprehensive analysis of education appropriations and detailed…
After about seven hours of angry, sometimes deeply painful debate about race and gun violence that spanned two days, the Florida House passed a bill Wednesday that would allow classroom teachers to be armed, expanding a program lawmakers created last year after the Parkland shooting. The debate reached emotional heights that had Democrats shouting or…
The Florida Legislature is sending a controversial bill to the governor that allows teachers to carry guns on campus, despite protests from educators and students urging them not to put more firearms in schools. The Florida House voted 65-47 Wednesday in favor of the school safety measure, which prompted hours of heated and emotional debate.…
Bills of interest on today’s schedule include 3rd Reading of SB 7030 (school safety) in the House. Other bills of interest on the schedule today include bills relating to early learning, personnel, mental health, and public records. In addition to bills on the agenda, bills will be moving back and forth between chambers in Messages. …
A far-reaching, omnibus education bill that creates a new private school voucher and restructures the state’s teacher bonus program is on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, after the Florida House passed it on Tuesday. The bill, Senate Bill 7070, achieves a goal that has been sought by Republicans since Jeb Bush was governor:…
Florida’s public high schools overall ranked sixth in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s new 2019 report on the country’s best high schools released this morning. The Sunshine State earned the sixth spot — behind Massachusetts, Maryland, California, Connecticut and New Jersey — based on the percentage of its high schools that placed…