As we all struggle to cope with and respond to the tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School yesterday, Senate leaders have stepped up their plans to pursue funding for expanded mental health services and to “harden” schools for better security. In a press conference this afternoon, Senate President Negron outlined these plans and,…
Now that we have started the 6th week of the Legislative Session, please be sure to watch our Legislative Weekly video featuring FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina providing some highlights of our Day in the Legislature conference and a recap of the progress on the budget and bills that were considered last week. Today, there…
Tallahassee, FL – With Florida’s 2018 Legislative Session kicking off next week, Executive Director Andrea Messina provides members with an overview of what’s to come. Be sure visit the FSBA Session Spotlight Blog and 2018 Legislative Session page for in-depth summaries, resources, and analyses.
A parent in Florida is citing profanity and violence in trying to get the local school to ban Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” — itself a cautionary tale on the banning of books. Another wants to remove Walter Dean Myers’ “Bad Boy” for using the word “penis” and a homophobic slur. Elsewhere in Florida, some say…
State Sen. Dennis Baxley, who once said controversy about evolution being taught in public schools “will never be over,” wants to make Florida school districts teach “controversial theories” in science subjects in a “balanced” manner. Baxley, R-Ocala, filed a bill Friday that would alter Florida’s academic standards in several key ways. His bill would give…
Bolstered by new research and federal incentives, experts decided about a decade ago that better teacher evaluation was the path to better student achievement. A flood of states started toughening their teacher-evaluation systems, and many of them did it by incorporating student-test scores into educators’ ratings. Read More
A years-long battle in the Legislature to pass a bill requiring high school students take a course teaching them how to manage money is back again. Sen. Dorothy Hukill‘s bill, though, had a small victory on Wednesday. SB 88 advanced the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on pre-K-12 Education, leaving one more committee stop before it can…
Mike Mogil doesn’t believe climate change is caused by humans. The 72-year old former National Weather Service meteorologist says global temperatures have been fluctuating for millennia, and recent extremes could very well have nothing to do with mankind. Now, he wants to make sure Florida’s public school students get the same perspective. Mogil is one…
Deer Park Elementary had a problem. Its discipline referrals and warnings were on the rise, with 433 incidents last year for 574 students, which didn’t bode well for the school’s academic performance. “There is a direct correlation between disruptions in the classroom and how well students learn,” said principal Margie Polen, who pointed to the…
Florida’s school grades, which are based partially on test scores, are improving after three years of students taking exams based on the state’s version of the Common Core standards.The percentage of schools statewide earning the top two grades on the Jeb Bush-era A-to-F rating system jumped from 46 percent in 2015-16 to 57 percent in…