Broward takes lead in challenging state law that benefits charter schools

The Broward County School Board voted Wednesday to sue the state over a new law that requires public school districts to share property tax revenue with charter schools and relinquishes their authority to approve charter applications. Broward was the first to take action, but other districts are holding similar meetings within the next two weeks,…

Commentary: ‘Failing’ schools? Charter schools get F’s three times as often in Florida

For years, Florida politicians have trashed public schools, describing them as “failures.”  Traditional public schools get it wrong, they say.  Charter schools get it right, they say.  We need to take money away from “failing” traditional schools and give more of it to charter schools, they say. Yet when school grades were released this past…

Florida Council of 100 Releases PreK-3 Recommendations 

The Florida Council of 100 has released The Horizons 2040 Project: PreK-3 recommendations.  These recommendations come as part of a long-term vision for education in Florida, and they will be followed in months and years to come with additional recommendations at Grades 4-8 and 9-12. Prior to the public release, the Council met with the…

New CREDO Report Finds Nonprofit Charter Schools Perform Better for Children Than For-Profit Charters

or-profit charter schools are less likely to improve student achievement than nonprofit charter schools or traditional public schools, according to a new report from Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO).  On average, nonprofit charter schools — which represent the majority of charter schools in the U.S. — offer their students the equivalent…

Both sides pressure Scott on schools bill

With a controversial and wide-ranging education bill now on his desk, Gov. Rick Scott faces intense pressure from both sides as he weighs whether to sign or veto the legislation.  Rumors have begun floating that Scott will sign HB 7069 later this week, but officially the governor maintains that he hasn’t made a final decision. …

Miami-Dade Republican: I’m ‘not comfortable’ with more K-12 funding without changing HB 7069

Hialeah Republican Sen. René García told Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, in a letter today that he’s “not comfortable supporting any compromise” on increasing K-12 funding for 2017-18 that does not also address a controversial education policy bill that awaits Gov. Rick Scott‘s approval.  García was one of three Senate Republicans to vote against HB 7069…

Florida School Boards Association joins chorus seeking HB 7069 veto

Florida has two groups advocating on behalf of school boards, and they are not always asking for the same things.  They disagreed on vouchers — in fact, the Florida Coalition of School Board members split from the larger, more established Florida School Boards Association over that issue — and now they disagree over the 278-page HB…

VIDEO: FSBA Session Wrap-up

Tallahassee, FL – After a three day extension, Florida’s Legislative Session has come to an end. Watch this FSBA Legislative Weekly Update for highlights, and be sure visit the FSBA Session Spotlight Blog and 2017 Legislative Session page for in-depth summaries, resources, and analyses. Also, be on the lookout for FSBA’s online and face-to-face Legislative Summary events.