The House on Wednesday approved a bill to fund the federal government through Dec. 9, averting a costly shutdown two days ahead of the deadline. The 10-week bill, which passed comfortably, 342 to 85, now heads to the president’s desk and sends lawmakers back to their district early for campaigning. A majority of the Republican conference…
The state university system’s Board of Governors this week will debate expanding the Bright Futures scholarship program to cover summer classes. The proposal, which could cost up to $46.7 million, is a top priority for Gov. Rick Scott, who sees broader use of the merit scholarship program as a way to help students graduate in…
After months of criticism from Republican lawmakers, state chiefs, and teachers’ unions on its approach to spending rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act, the U.S. Department of Education last week released a new proposal that appears to give districts and states some additional flexibility when it comes to ensuring federal funds for low-income students…
Florida economists delivered some sobering news Wednesday to state lawmakers: Money is tight. Citing rising costs — especially in Medicaid spending where pharmaceutical costs have been climbing — economists forecast a $1.3 billion budget shortfall by 2018, when Gov. Rick Scott will be entering his final year as Florida’s chief executive. Read full article
Calling it a “game changer,” Florida leaders made a sweeping overhaul of teacher evaluations in 2011, tying those reviews to student test scores in a push to boost educator quality and, in turn, student achievement. But by the numbers, the new evaluations have led to little change. At the end of the 2009-10 school year,…
Florida will have very little extra money to spend in the coming year, meaning that top legislators and Gov. Rick Scott may have slash the state budget to meet some of their promises. The annual forecast released Tuesday shows that despite the state’s gradual economic recovery Florida is expected to bring in just enough money…
Leading into Tuesday’s primary, one clearly needed election reform didn’t get deserved attention — closing a loophole that disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of Florida voters. It’s an abuse of the Florida Constitution that we call on state lawmakers to fix in 2017 Read full article
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday started seeking applications from people who want to serve on the state Constitution Revision Commission, a panel that meets every 20 years to recommend changes to the Florida Constitution. Scott will appoint 15 of the 37 members of the commission. Read full article
A U.S. District judge has moved to set a Friday hearing to consider whether the lawsuit challenging the state’s third-grade retention policies should be decided by a federal court, a new twist in an evolving legal fight over Florida’s standardized testing system. Read full article
5 Things You Should Know What should US education be doing differently? ESSA feedback criticizes federal government for overreach Florida’s $100 purchasing power Which students perform better—video game players or social media posters? Parents across country—not just Florida—want recess