DeSantis’ budget: $1 billion on teacher pay, millions for elections security

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday proposed a record $91.4 billion state budget for the next fiscal year, including spending an additional $1 billion on teacher raises.  The proposed budget is more than $400 million higher than the current year and includes plans to spend millions to protect the state’s elections systems and hire hundreds of new…

Florida House looks for ways to boost teacher pay

A House education panel on Thursday began delving into the issue of raising teacher pay, with a key lawmaker saying that while “everything is on the table,” the panel still needs to figure out where the money would come from.Rep. Chris Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who chairs the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, said his panel…

SECOND DRAFT of Standards Now Available, Florida Department of Education

Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 10:32 AM Subject: Second draft of standards available To: <STANDARDS-REVIEW-L@lserv.fldoe.org> Dear Education Stakeholders, We are pleased to announce the next steps for crafting Florida’s new educational standards in English language arts and mathematics, pursuant to Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 19-32, which seeks to ensure Florida has the best academic…

Join the School Breakfast Challenge

When children are hungry, it’s harder for them to succeed. And for too many kids, school meals are the only meals they can count on. That’s why we’re launching the #SchoolBreakfast Challenge with @FloridaMilk & @nokidhungry to ensure no child starts the day on an empty stomach. pic.twitter.com/SUiMJD6FcD — Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) August 19,…

Florida is now monitoring students’ social media behavior

As kids head back to school across Florida in the coming weeks, the state has a new tool designed to help school districts identify, assess and provide intervention services to students whose behavior may pose a threat to themselves of others.The Florida Schools Safety Portal (FSSP) was unveiled by the state Department of Education on…

Florida Senate passes major education bill that creates new school voucher

The Florida Senate passed a massive education bill Thursday that would create a new private school voucher that is funded out the state’s per-student funding traditionally reserved almost solely for districts.  Its passage marks yet another victory for those wanting to expand different schooling options funded by the state, but likely sets a course for…

School districts, charters, sheriffs. Who decides if teachers can be armed?

The Florida Senate didn’t have a formal vote on the bill that would allow classroom teachers to be armed on Wednesday, but they did adopt a major amendment that could settle one of the biggest lingering questions of the debate: who gets to decide if teachers in a school can be armed? Read More

Koch group launches TV ad calling for universal school vouchers

The Legislative session doesn’t kick off until Tuesday but it’s already clear that the education policy debate will be different this year. With a new, conservative state Supreme Court and Gov. Ron DeSantis pushing for allowing tax dollars to subsidize students going to private schools, many long-time education advocates said 2019 feels like a turning…

Florida Standards Review – Update on Executive Order 19-32

The Florida Department of Education held a conference call for district curriculum staff to provide technical assistance and detailed information on Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 19-32 – January 31, 2019. The Department has designated a landing page and will update stakeholders on progress, timelines, and actions as information becomes available.  Bookmark this page as a resource,…