School choice a priority for Ron DeSantis, Richard Corcoran

Governor-elect Ron DeSantis‘ Education and Workforce Development Committee continued deliberations Friday, its last telephonic meeting ahead of final recommendations to come.  A previous meeting of the group emphasized school choice and accountability, concepts that jibe with the reform agenda of incoming Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. Read More

‘Hard corners’ could be coming to every Florida classroom

Another idea meant to protect students, designated “hard corners” or safe areas in a classroom in the event of a school shooting, could soon show up statewide.  It’s an idea the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is considering as a recommendation to the state, to better protect students. Read More

DeSantis’ education committee talks challenges of K-12 spending campaign promise, teacher pay

Governor-elect Ron DeSantis’ transition committee on education met Wednesday to discuss how the state could begin to implement his campaign proposal that 80 percent of all education funding be directed “into the classroom.” The short answer: it’s not going to be simple.  Many committee members said the first step is to define what “classroom spending” would…

Scrap Discipline Guidance, Consider Arming School Staff, Trump Commission Says

A panel created by President Donald Trump to help prevent future school shootings called Tuesday for getting rid of Obama administration guidance aimed at making sure students of color and students with disabilities aren’t disciplined more harshly than their peers.  U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who leads the Federal Commission on School Safety, said…

FSBA Session Spotlight — December 17, 2018

As we approach the start of the 2019 Legislative Session on March 5, 2019, FSBA will be working to keep our members well informed of the activities of the Florida Legislature and related events in Tallahassee. Our main tools for accomplishing this are this Session Spotlight blog and our Legislative Session page.  In addition, we…

Clock ticks down on GOP Congress

Lawmakers are facing an end-of-the-year traffic jam with legislation piling up and a tight schedule that leaves them little wiggle room.  Leadership is juggling a backlog of must-pass bills and nominations as well as eleventh-hour requests from rank-and-file members as legislators try to cram as much as possible into the final days of the work…

Should Teachers Carry Guns? The Debate, Explained

The idea of arming teachers—or loosening state restrictions to allow concealed-carry permit holders to bring guns into schools—is often circulated after school attacks. It gained attention after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 and was revived in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…

Education fault lines separate Florida House, Senate

A fight over education policy is brewing at the Capitol. It pits supporters of traditional public schools against advocates for more school choice.  With new leaders in place, the Florida House and Senate will be the battleground for the contest over the state’s educational future. Each chamber will have its own distinct ideas about how…

Betsy DeVos Releases ESSA Guide for Parents

Parents: Can’t make heads or tails of the Every Student Succeeds Act? The U.S. Department of Education has put together a cheat sheet for you.  U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unveiled the “parents’ guide” at a roundtable in Mississippi, with parents, students, and educators, as part of her four-state “Rethink School” tour. Read More