Florida School Boards Association
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. Florida legislators on Friday endorsed a line of changes for the state’s public schools, including easing class size penalties for school districts and encouraging students to start wearing uniforms. The Florida House passed several education bills, including one that would let privately-run but publicly-funded charter schools tap into local property taxes to pay…
A movement by parents to boycott or “opt out” of the new state assessments is small but growing, organizers say, especially on Florida’s First Coast. About 3,000 people have joined “opt out” groups around the state, said Sandy Stenoff, a parent who founded Opt Out Orlando, the oldest of the groups with 2,962 members. It…
NSBA’s Council of Urban Boards of Education Announces 2015-2016 Leadership March 26, 2015 Alexandria, Va. (March 26, 2015) – The National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) elected leaders and new members to its Steering Committee as part of NSBA’s 75th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tenn. Van Henri White of…
After lengthy, sometimes confusing debate Wednesday over Florida’s testing and its consequences, the state Senate Appropriations Committee adopted a proposal that would change the rules relating to third-grade retention. Reports quickly emerged that the state where likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush launched third-grade retentions based on reading test performance was about to suspend the practice.…
TALLAHASSEE — A bill that would allow parents more freedom to choose where their children go to school overwhelmingly was approved Tuesday by a House panel, even as some critics and educators worried the legislation is moving too quickly. The measure (HB 1145), sponsored by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, was approved by the House…
ALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) – A bill making its way through the Florida Legislature aims to lessen the restrictions currently put on student athletes who transfer schools. The “Extracurricular Activities Bill” (SB 1480) would make it easier for high school athletes to continue in their sport once they transfer schools. “If a student transfers…
Florida may allow third grade students to advance to the fourth grade, even if they perform poorly on statewide standardized tests. Read full article
This special report, “The Chief Academic Officer’s Evolving Role: Powering Big-Picture Learning Goals,” examines the challenges CAOs are facing in school districts across the country and how they are working to improve academics in the age of common standards and digital teaching and learning. It features findings from an exclusive survey of district leaders. Read…
A conservative Florida senator with a flair for headline-grabbing proposals could generate lots of support in the anti-testing sector with his latest recommendation. Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, has filed an amendment to the Senate’s major testing reform bill (SB 616) that goes to its final committee stop on Thursday, with availability Wednesday. His objective: To end…
With two weeks of computerized writing tests in the rearview mirror, Florida’s superintendents are taking a closer look at what went wrong — and what it means. They’re more concerned than ever that the results will be tainted. In a draft document circulating through district offices, the Florida Association for District School Superintendents raises six…