Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero on Friday urged a Constitution Revision Commission panel to repeal a constitutional ban on state support for religious groups. Cantero told the commission’s Education Committee that the so-called “no-aid” provision in the Florida Constitution is unnecessary and would likely be held unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court based…
The Constitution Revision Commission Education Committee met this afternoon to consider several important education-related proposals to amend the Florida Constitution, including, among others, proposals relating to school board member salaries, charter school authorizers, and the prohibition against using public revenues in aid of religious entities. As a result of a new procedure for managing the…
Several bills of interest will be considered today including, among others, visitation of schools by legislators, the McKay Scholarship Program, and tax referenda. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these bill and others that were considered today. Tomorrow, there are no legislative committee meetings…
The Florida Board of Education unanimously approved a rule on Wednesday opening the door for private nonprofits to apply to receive millions in state funding to operate charter schools near low-performing public schools, called “Schools of Hope.” The rule establishes a process for a nonprofit group to become an operator of the charter schools. Read More Read the…
Several bills of interest will be considered today including, most notably, HJR 1031 relating to term limits for school board members and HB 1279 relating to school district accountability. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these bill and others that were considered today. Tomorrow,…
Term limits for Florida’s school board members, already a controversial proposal before the Constitution Revision Commission, surfaced in the Florida House PreK-12 Quality subcommittee on Wednesday. The measure, also a proposed constitutional amendment, came into play because “it may not pass the CRC,” said sponsor Rep. Jason Fischer, a former Duval County board member. Read More
Teachers could receive $1,000 annual bonuses for teaching computer science classes in middle and high schools under a bill approved unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Education Committee. The measure (SB 1056), sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, is designed to increase the number of computer science classes and students taking those classes. Read More
Requiring nursing homes to have adequate backup power, blocking storm-damaged properties from being rebuilt in “high-risk” areas and looking into changes in highway traffic flow during evacuations are among hurricane proposals that moved forward Tuesday in a Florida House select committee. Read More
Several bills of interest will be considered today, including bills relating to local tax referenda, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these, and other, bills. Tomorrow, legislators will take up bills on several key issues including public meetings…
A controversial proposal to end school board members’ pay in Florida returns to the Constitution Revision Commission’s Education Committee on Friday, so far with no amendments proposed. The recommendation, which comes from Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, appeared to have died in the committee’s Nov,. 27 meeting. A majority of the panel voted…