Florida School Boards Association
The legislators who drafted Florida’s modern Constitution in 1968 were wise enough to know that they weren’t so astute as to foresee every test of time. They made the document easier to amend than the old one, which their forerunners had refused to adapt to the 20th century. One of the reforms was the initiative…
Robert Runcie came to this country at age six from Jamaica, the son of parents with a third grade education. Today he’s superintendent of the Broward County School District, a large system at the forefront of efforts to celebrate the cultural diversity of its students. On Wednesday, he added his voice to a chorus of…
If Florida schools let teenagers sleep in, the state would get a $9 billion economic boost over the next 15 years. That’s according to a new report from nonprofit research organization RAND Corporation, which found that moving school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later for middle and high schools would reduce the number of…
Americans’ support for public schools has risen in the last year—across the country and across the political spectrum—but the public also wants schools to go beyond academics to provide more career and student health supports, according to the 49th annual education poll by Phi Delta Kappa International. Read More
Last week the Orange County School Board voted unanimously to join numerous other Florida school districts in petitioning the courts to declare recently enacted House Bill 7069 unconstitutional. The decision to join the litigation was not made lightly, and was made only after concluding that constitutional principles of a uniform, high-quality education and local control…
Mike Mogil doesn’t believe climate change is caused by humans. The 72-year old former National Weather Service meteorologist says global temperatures have been fluctuating for millennia, and recent extremes could very well have nothing to do with mankind. Now, he wants to make sure Florida’s public school students get the same perspective. Mogil is one…
Deer Park Elementary had a problem. Its discipline referrals and warnings were on the rise, with 433 incidents last year for 574 students, which didn’t bode well for the school’s academic performance. “There is a direct correlation between disruptions in the classroom and how well students learn,” said principal Margie Polen, who pointed to the…
A new study from criminology researchers at Florida State University reveals that a more diverse school board can lead to more equitable school punishment among black, white and Hispanic students. The team found that black and Hispanic students were more likely to be suspended in schools with larger minority populations. However, white students attending schools with larger…
An effort to equate computer coding with foreign languages for high school students seeking credit for college admission has returned to Tallahassee for a fourth attempt. Killed in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the measure [SB 180] is again sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican. And once again, the proponents of strong foreign…
Have you missed fights over whether to increase the U.S. government’s borrowing limit? You might be getting a special treat soon. Many education advocates, however, likely aren’t so thrilled. The recurring squabble over raising the debt ceiling has roots in 2011 when, in exchange for increasing the borrowing limit, Congress imposed mandatory spending caps on…