Florida earns a D- on integrity, accountability on Sunshine Law appraisal
Florida continues to earn kudos for its liberal Sunshine Laws, which keep most government records and meetings open for public inspection.… Read full article
Proposed amendment could dissolve, merge Florida school districts
The size, shape, number and even the politics of Florida’s school districts could change dramatically if voters support a constitutional amendment proposed by two South Florida lawmakers. Sen. Jeff Brandes and state Rep. Matt Caldwell introduced legislation that would empower the Legislature to abolish existing school districts. It also would present the opportunity to create…
Fair test scores for Florida students
Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is gearing up for the next round of a months-long battle with the state over flawed standardized student tests that will also determine school grades and measure teacher performance. The controversy centers on the state’s Department of Education’s plan to use scores from the new state tests given this spring —…
Proposed bill would change transfer regulations for athletes
Local state senator Don Gaetz sponsored a proposed bill for the 2016 Legislative Session that would loosen athletic eligibility restrictions. And it would significantly impact at least one local school district’s transfer regulations. Santa Rosa County — which serves around 27,000 students and includes Central, Gulf Breeze, Jay, Milton, Navarre and Pace high schools —…
House and Senate Negotiators Have Reached Preliminary ESEA Deal
Christmas seems to have come early this year for education advocates. After weeks of long and hard negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers have reached preliminary agreement on a bill for the long-stalled reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, multiple sources say. The agreement will set the stage for an official conference committee, which…
Commissioner’s FSA cut score recommendations are final, spokeswoman says
If the Florida Board of Education wants to increase state test cut scores to reflect NAEP proficiency, state education commissioner Pam Stewart isn’t offering any cover. Stewart has no plans to alter her Florida Standards Assessments cut score recommendations, which she issued in September, a Department of Education spokeswoman told the Gradebook. Stewart conducted a thorough…
School Board Vice Chair Dr. Lawerence Feldman Receives The Champion of Education Farmworkers Award
MEDIA ADVISORY FROM DR. LAWRENCE FELDMAN The Mexican-American Council recently honored School Board Vice Chair Dr. Lawrence Feldman with The Champion of Education Farmworkers Award in recognition of his generosity, support and leadership in promoting education equality for farmworker children during the Farmworker Celebration Luncheon. The event celebrated at Rancho Victoria honored local and state…
Report finds big slide in the number of ‘dropout factory’ high schools since 2008
WASHINGTON — A new report says the nation has far fewer so-called “dropout factory” high schools these days, down sharply since 2008. Dropout factories are defined as schools where less than 60 percent of students who started as freshmen remain enrolled four years later. The number dropped from 1,812 in 2008 to 1,040 last year.…
Police in schools: Keeping kids safe, or arresting them for no good reason?
The violent arrest of a South Carolina high school student in class last month has triggered new scrutiny of the nation’s school resource officers, whose numbers have increased in recent decades alongside concerns about school safety and mass shootings. There are now more than 43,000 school resource officers and other sworn police officers, and an…
Don’t ‘force fit’ Florida test cut scores to NAEP, superintendents urge State Board
The lines have been clearly drawn in Florida’s approach to setting the “cut” scores for the Florida Standards Assessments five achievement levels. Some State Board of Education members have called for connecting the scores to NAEP proficiency levels, a position forcefully promoted by state business interests and former Gov. Jeb Bush’s education foundation. Education Commissioner…