Florida School Boards Association
In just a couple of weeks, Florida K-12 schools will begin the annual grueling three-month stretch of administering mandatory statewide student assessments. But next year, those tests might not happen until the end of the school year, if lawmakers pass a proposal this spring to reform Florida’s lengthy testing schedule. Read More
The membership of Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission continued to shape up Wednesday, as Senate President Joe Negron announced his nine appointments to the panel. Among his choices were two people with strong influence in state K-12 education matters over the past several years, Patricia Levesque and Don Gaetz. Read More
The 1st District Court of Appeal is considering a case that will determine several school boards’ obligations to students who wish to opt out of standardized tests. According to a Feb. 9 report by the News Service of Florida on TheLedger.com, parents of students who had been denied promotion to the fourth grade for their failure…
Florida is spending more than ever on education, yet the amount of money dedicated to each student is barely higher than in 2007. The state would have to spend an additional $1.86 billion over the next three years to offset inflation and cuts that have ravaged education funding since the Great Recession, according to the…
Warning of a state government shutdown, the Florida Senate could sue over a House rule that’s supposed to make the budget process more transparent by giving the public advanced notice on hometown spending projects. But the rule goes too far in the eyes of Florida Senate budget chief Jack Latvala, who said it unconstitutionally binds…
Miami businesswoman Elizabeth De Zulueta speaks English and Spanish. She knows some Italian and Russian, too. She’s also a robotics engineer who knows how to code using technical training in computer science and electrical and mechanical engineering. Having studied languages and coding, De Zulueta knows the value of both skills, and she can attest from…
The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos on Tuesday as education secretary, approving the embattled nominee only with the help of a historic tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. Read More
In the midst of change, redirection and refocus there is one goal that remains immutable, and that is protecting the safety, well-being, and future of children. Recent federal action affecting immigration policy has generated vigorous debate and civil unrest across the nation. Additionally, there is a sense of fear and anxiety in the hearts of…
The State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) are part of the Florida Building Code. SREF requirements apply to construction, renovation, and remodeling of public educational facilities owned by district school boards and Florida College System boards of trustees. This review focused on K-12 public school construction. We did not identify a compelling reason to eliminate…
To better recruit and retain quality teachers for Florida’s K-12 public schools, Gov. Rick Scott wants the state to spend $58 million in the next budget year on a handful of initiatives — and those don’t include a controversial teacher bonus plan that lawmakers, with Scott’s support, have advanced in recent years. Read More