Florida legislators are heading into the third week of their 60-day session where they are ready to start grappling with a state budget that will exceed $80 billion. While passing the budget is the only obligation the Florida Legislature has each year, there are dozens of other bills being considered ranging from a duck license…
The Constitution Revision Commission Education Committee met this afternoon to consider several important education-related proposals to amend the Florida Constitution, including, among others, proposals relating to school board member salaries, charter school authorizers, and the prohibition against using public revenues in aid of religious entities. As a result of a new procedure for managing the…
Several bills of interest will be considered today including, among others, visitation of schools by legislators, the McKay Scholarship Program, and tax referenda. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these bill and others that were considered today. Tomorrow, there are no legislative committee meetings…
The Florida Board of Education unanimously approved a rule on Wednesday opening the door for private nonprofits to apply to receive millions in state funding to operate charter schools near low-performing public schools, called “Schools of Hope.” The rule establishes a process for a nonprofit group to become an operator of the charter schools. Read More Read the…
Several bills of interest will be considered today, including bills relating to local tax referenda, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these, and other, bills. Tomorrow, legislators will take up bills on several key issues including public meetings…
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there were no legislative meetings today. Tomorrow, several bills of interest will be considered, including bills relating to local tax referenda, juvenile justice, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement. In addition, the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness will be considering their final report and recommendations. Please…
A judge on Friday rejected the Palm Beach County School Board’s request to temporarily block a new state law requiring the school board to give an extra $9 million to the county’s charter schools by Feb. 1. At a court hearing in Tallahassee, Leon County Circuit Judge James Shelfer denied the school board’s request, meaning…
Next week, the Florida Board of Education is set to take up much-anticipated rules rolling out the welcome mat for prospective Schools of Hope. The goal is to attract more proven national charter school organizations into disadvantaged neighborhoods with low-performing schools. The draft rule would offer three ways for charter school organizations to qualify as “Hope…
Education has long been a top priority for Florida lawmakers and in 2017 education once again made a splash in a variety of headlines throughout the year. Here’s a look back at the year’s top education stories in Florida: Read More
Aiming to jump start the a controversial new charter school system for the fall, the Florida Department of Education has unveiled proposed rules for potential Schools of Hope operators to follow. The recommended rule, which is slated for Jan. 17 State Board of Education consideration, closely adheres to criteria from the legislation enacting the program to…