Florida School Boards Association
The Constitution Revision Commission concluded its agenda last week having squandered most of its rare and precious opportunity. It deserves a harsh judgment from the public in November. The eight amendments it voted to put on the ballot are a mishmash of the good, the bad, and the unnecessary, mostly packaged in ways that deny…
The U.S. Department of Education will move forward with grants to schools in Florida and other states that took in children evacuees from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and then struggled with unexpected costs, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy‘s office announced Tuesday. Under legislation Congress pushed through and approved in February, with Murphy’s backing, the department will…
The Florida Department of Education sent in its revised federal school accountability plan Monday, months after the U.S. Education department said multiple revisions were needed. In its updated version, the state said it had filed for a waiver of certain testing rules for middle school students in science and math, so they do not have to…
n Thursday, April 26, an estimated 37 million adults will bring children to work — part of a quarter-century tradition known as Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. For us, the celebration of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is much more than a break from school or a chance for…
The Florida Constitution Revision Commission has voted to approve ballot language for changes to Article IX of our constitution, relating to public, K-12 education. Duval voters have good reasons to reject the proposal. Read More
Rejecting arguments of school boards across the state, a Leon County circuit judge this week formally rejected a challenge to a controversial 2017 law that included a series of moves to boost charter schools. Circuit Judge John Cooper, who had earlier indicated he would turn down the challenge, issued an 18-page ruling Tuesday siding with…
The Florida Constitution Revision’s already controversial education proposal is quickly gaining its own social media tag based on its anticipated spot on the November ballot — #Amendment8. If that sounds familiar to education advocates across the state, it should. Eight years ago, they waged a heated campaign for a different Amendment 8 also focused on schools.…
The annual State of Preschool Report, released by the National Institute for Early Education Research Wednesday, found that Florida continues to have among the highest levels of 4-year olds enrolled in public preK programs while at the same time allocating roughly half the national average of per-pupil funding to those programs. Read More
Florida high school students got some unexpected relief Monday as they headed into the state’s annual spring testing season. Those who struggle on certain gatekeeper exams won’t have to race to complete substitute ones before the State Board of Education imposes new rules. Amid rising complaints from educators and families, the Department of Education staff altered its recommendation…
Despite calls to treat each idea separately, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission has sent a proposal to voters that would set school board member term limits, require civic education in public schools, and allow for the creation of a state charter school authorizer. Commission member Roberto Martinez, a former State Board of Education chairman and…