The Legislative session doesn’t kick off until Tuesday but it’s already clear that the education policy debate will be different this year. With a new, conservative state Supreme Court and Gov. Ron DeSantis pushing for allowing tax dollars to subsidize students going to private schools, many long-time education advocates said 2019 feels like a turning […]
DeSantis: Use Trump tax plan to expand charter schools
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to leverage a tax incentive championed by President Donald Trump to launch a five-fold expansion of charter schools in the state. The DeSantis budget proposed linking the state‘s Schools of Hope program to federal “opportunity zones”created by Trump’s $1.5 billion tax plan. At least 247 Florida communities would be eligible for […]
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 […]
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 […]
Nelson Concedes, Scott Wins Florida Senate Race
Three-term Senator Bill Nelson is conceding defeat to Republican Governor Rick Scott in the race for U.S. Senate. All of Florida’s 67 counties submitted final vote tallies to Tallahassee at noon on Sunday. Read More
Recounts loom larger, legal action begins as margins tighten in key Florida races
As the Senate race between Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Bill Nelson appears headed to a statewide recount, both candidates are mobilizing teams of lawyers and legal skirmishes are well underway. Thursday dawned with Scott leading Nelson by just more than one-fourth of a percentage point. The candidates for agriculture commissioner are much closer, divided […]
Nelson, Rubio press FEMA to improve hurricane response
Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio are not happy with FEMA, saying the agency needs to do a better job helping Florida residents displaced by Hurricane Irma find rental housing. They say people are also waiting up to four hours on the phone to speak with someone at FEMA. Read More
Florida announces plan to help hurricane-stricken counties conduct general election
Hurricane Michael left behind a path of major destruction and death when it slammed into the Florida Panhandle near Mexico Beach just over a week ago. The Category 4 hurricane wiped out communities and disrupted the lives of residents in the Florida Panhandle. With the November election less than three weeks away, the storm has […]
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
U.S. Department of Education Announces 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized 349 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Read More