Florida School Boards Association
In many, if not most, Florida counties, the local school district is the largest employer. That gives the superintendent of schools plenty of power when it comes to hiring and firing. But what happens if one of the superintendent’s relatives needs a job? Read More Read the Ethics Commission Opinion
The State Board of Education is pushing for more accountability in how schools teach classes included in Florida statues including civics, the Holocaust and the history and heritage of African Americans, Hispanics and women. This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran cheered the board for its efforts to have schools focus more…
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been tight-lipped about the details of his teacher-compensation plan for the upcoming legislative session, but this week he suggested doing away with a controversial bonus program.Yet a number of Republican lawmakers and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran say they want to keep bonuses in teacher-pay discussions during the 2020 session. Read More
The Florida House made clear Tuesday that prekindergarten and early education will receive heavy attention in the coming legislative session, as the state aims to better prepare its children for kindergarten and beyond. “This is where it starts. It starts with early learning,” Education Committee chairwoman Rep. Jennifer Sullivan said to introduce her panel’s two-hour…
This week, the Legislature will hold the first of six weeks of Interim Committee Meetings in preparation for the regular 2020 Legislative Session on January 14, 2020. This first round of meetings will focus on a review of the state’s financial outlook and the Legislative Budget Requests (LBRs) submitted by state agencies, updates on the…
After a summer when the nation was stunned by a series of mass shootings, the Florida Senate is set Monday to explore what leads to such violence — a move some say will point to a need for stricter gun regulation in the Sunshine State. University experts, law enforcement officials and mental health professionals are…
Senate President Bill Galvano on Wednesday threw his support behind revising a state law that governs training for school guardians, after a dispute between Palm Beach County schools and a private security firm ended up in court.Galvano said he wants the Senate to work on “clarifying” a school safety law, which outlines the training requirements…
For several years now, Florida Board of Education members have expected — demanded, in fact — principal changes at the state’s most struggling schools. The board has insisted on leadership shifts as a condition of approving improvement plans, and has held superintendents’ feet to the fire if those moves haven’t come swiftly enough. Read More…
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried‘s office said a total of 118 shelters have been opened in Florida as of 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The includes 92 general shelters and 27 special needs shelters. Almost 400 individuals have already taken shelter in one of the locations. Read More
With committee weeks just two weeks off, the Florida House on Friday announced a revamped committee structure with one notable difference for education policy watchers. The PreK-12 Quality subcommittee chaired by Rep. Byron Donalds was eliminated. Donalds remains on the overarching Education Committee. Read More