Florida House budget rule could lead to Senate lawsuit, state government shutdown

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…

Public Schools Dealt Blows in Pair of Court Decisions Favoring Vouchers and Charters

A pair of Florida court decisions this week dealt severe blows to traditional public education, in one case upholding corporate tax vouchers for private schools, in another, diminishing the role of local school boards in deciding what charter schools may operate. Read More

Want to change Florida’s Constitution? Today is application deadline for revision board

Friday is the last day to apply to be a member of what may be one of the most influential groups assembled in Florida in two decades — the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission. The unique panel has the power to put proposals directly on the 2018 mid-term ballot to reform and update the state’s constitution,…

Court gives charter school partial win against PBC school board

A state appeals court on Wednesday rejected the Palm Beach County School Board’s claim that it alone should decide which charter schools open in the county, handing a partial victory to a charter that the school board has been fighting for two years to prevent from opening. But the court also ordered a state board…

FDOE Memo: Every Student Succeeds Act Update

The United States Department of Education regulations for accountability, state plans and data reporting were released November 29, 2016, effective January 30, 2017. Of note, the state plan due dates are pushed back to either April 3 or September 18, 2017. The timeline for school improvement decisions based on the accountability system is moved back…