What to do? President Donald Trump’s administration has in many ways held up Florida’s education system as a model for the nation. It’s hired many former Florida education officials to top jobs in its own education department. Yet Florida’s proposed plan to meet federal Every Student Succeeds Act standards is now the only one that remains […]
Does ESSA Require Teachers to Be Highly Qualified?
Question: Is highly qualified teacher still required under ESSA? The short answer: Nope, you can toss the phrase “highly qualified teacher” into the trash, as far as the law is concerned. The longer answer: ESSA got rid of the requirement in the law it replaced, the No Child Left Behind Act, that teachers must be […]
Counseling, Mental Health Access Dominate Federal School Safety Meeting
Students—especially those from vulnerable populations and children in remote areas—aren’t getting nearly enough access to mental health services. That’s according to a slew of experts who testified before the federal school safety commission Wednesday. The panel has been charged with making recommendations for combatting mass school shootings in the wake of the February 14 massacre at Marjory […]
Civil rights groups urge U.S. Education Secretary DeVos to reject Florida’s latest accountability plan
After several delays, the Florida Department of Education submitted its revised Every Student Succeeds Act plan to the federal government in mid April. Some civil rights group leaders want U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to do to the second version what she did to the first — reject it as noncompliant with federal law. Read […]
U.S. News Reveals Rankings of Best High Schools
U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings and civic journalism, today released the 2018 edition of Best High Schools. The rankings evaluate more than 20,500 public high schools nationwide to identify schools that best serve all of their students – including historically underserved populations – and assess the degree to which […]
161 Students From Across the Country Named 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholars
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the 54th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields. “I want to congratulate this year’s class of Presidential Scholars on their achievement and also thank their parents, teachers and other academic […]
Feds to provide grants to schools enrolling hurricane evacuees
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 […]
Florida submits revised Every Student Succeeds Act plan
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 […]
Take our kids to work day: Energizing Florida’s future workforce | Opinion
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 […]
Leon County judge rejects challenge to controversial Florida charter school law
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 […]