FSBA Legislative Update Video – February 14, 2019
Executive Director Andrea Messina charts progress and initiatives from the Executive and Legislative branch as we approach the final weeks before the 2019 Legislative Session. FSBA Legislative Update 2-14-19 from Florida School Boards Assoc on Vimeo.
Governor Ron DeSantis Calls for Statewide Grand Jury on School Safety
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to examine and review school safety measures throughout the state, as well as the responses of public entities to laws designed to protect schools such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Read More
Bill to arm Florida teachers passes first committee along party lines
A bill that would allow Florida’s teachers to carry guns in schools passed its first committee along party lines Tuesday, setting up what could be one of the most heated debates of the 2019 legislative session. Senate Bill 7030 expands the “Guardian” program created by last year’s post-Parkland bill, by which school staff can volunteer […]
FSBA Session Spotlight – February 8, 2019
Governor DeSantis released his 2019-2020 state budget recommendations on Friday, February 1. As a result, most of this week’s Legislative Interim Committee Meetings provided presentations on funding and policies outlined in in governor’s budget. In addition to presentations and discussion of budget issues, legislative committees/subcommittees considered several bills of interest including, among others, bills relating to […]
FSBA Friday Five – February 8, 2019
Each week, Executive Director Andrea Messina selects 5 Things You Should Know in education news. Read. Learn. Share. Retweet. Designing for the Spectrum/Autism-friendly education design Why are schools not providing more real-world ways to teach young people traditional subjects? Elementary students participate in Amazing Shake to teach soft skills Citizenship in the digital age, an […]
Ron DeSantis announces $422 million increase in teacher bonuses under new program
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a wide-range of teacher pay proposals that include an increase of $422 million in rewards for teachers and a higher percentage of black teachers who would received the rewards. Read More
School board term limits proposal advances in Florida House
Citing the importance of eliminating the “incumbency advantage” and the need to generate fresh ideas, members of the Florida House PreK-12 Quality subcommittee unanimously backed a resolution (HJR 229) Wednesday to ask voters to approve term limits for school board members. Read More
Ron DeSantis proposes record $91.3 billion budget, more spending on students
Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing a boost in per-student spending, an overhaul in how the state rewards teachers, improvements to the state’s aging transportation network and more money to save the Everglades in a record budget proposal announced Friday. DeSantis’ $91.3 billion proposed budget, dubbed “Bold Vision for a Brighter Future”, is the largest ever […]
DeSantis takes aim at Common Core in executive order
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to create new state curriculum standards that would eliminate “the vestiges of Common Core,” he announced in Cape Coral on Thursday. “We stuck with Common Core then we re-branded it … it’s all the same. It all needs to be looked at, it all needs to be scrutinized,” DeSantis said during […]
DeSantis issues executive order on workforce education, requests millions for technical programs
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he is challenging Florida to go from No. 24 to No. 1 in the nation for its workforce and technical training programs by 2030, and issued an executive order he said would be the first step to achieving that goal. “We have too many folks who are not prepared […]
DeSantis weighs in on school safety, supports letting trained school employees carry guns
With a state commission saying classroom teachers should be allowed to be armed “guardians,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday backed the possibility of more school employees being able to carry guns — while also calling for other steps to avoid mass shootings. DeSantis told reporters that his upcoming budget proposal will include money for school security […]
Florida bill would allow schools to teach alternatives to evolution, climate change
Florida could teach alternatives to evolution and man-made climate change if a new bill passes the state legislature. State Senator Dennis Baxley, a Republican from Ocala, filed Senate Bill 330, which adds a provision to state science standards requiring schools to teach controversial theories in a factual, objective and balanced manner. Read More
Education Department aims to cut wait time for teacher certification
Citing a 55 percent decrease in teacher certification approvals since 2017, Florida education commissioner Richard Corcoran announced on Tuesday steps to speed the process and get more educators approved. In an after-hours press statement, Corcoran announced he had moved six employees to the Bureau of Educator Certification to reduce the backlog of unprocessed applications. Read […]
‘One size doesn’t fit all.’ Should Florida widen the path to high school graduation?
Twenty-four credits. A grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Passing scores on the state’s Algebra I and 10th grade reading tests, or their alternatives. Most Florida teenagers know that list: They’re the requirements to earn a standard diploma from a public high school. But are they the right ones? Read More
FSBA Session Spotlight — January 25, 2019
Most of the 3rd week of Legislative Interim Committee Meetings provided presentations on the implementation of legislation that passed during the 2018 Legislative Session. Of particular interest were presentations to both the House and Senate Committees on the implementation of SB 7026 – last year’s school safety bill. Please click on the files below for a summary of […]
FSBA Friday Five – January 25, 2019
Each week, Executive Director Andrea Messina selects 5 Things You Should Know in education news. Read. Learn. Share. Retweet. Quality Counts report is out for 2019: Learn more A mega list of scholarships to share: Learn more If you haven’t heard them, top education podcasts from 2018: Learn more How easy is it to learn […]
Senator “disturbed” by claims of Pinellas County Sheriff in regard to school safety law
The chairman of the state’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is making some claims about local school districts that one state senator calls “disturbing” if they are true. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who chairs the commission, testified before the Senate and House Education committees on Tuesday and accused school districts of […]
Gualtieri to lawmakers: schools need more armed staff, punish districts that move too slow
When Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stood up to give his presentation to the House Education committee on Tuesday, he had harsh words for school districts whom he said are “not moving fast enough” and are “playing games” with SB 7026, the law passed last year in response to the Parkland shooting that mandated sweeping […]
Ron DeSantis calls to end private school scholarship waitlist for low-income students
Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for an end to the waitlist for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, which offers private school scholarships to low-income K-12 students throughout the state. The scholarship has a waitlist in 2019 of nearly 13,000 students. “I would like to eliminate the waitlist so every parent has the ability to make […]
Florida legislators want to filter public school drinking water
A trip to the water fountain after lunch or recess may seem innocuous for students. But Florida legislators are concerned with what may be in the water. A bill introduced by Sens. Janet Cruz, Lauren Book and Annette Taddeo would require public schools to filter drinking water at the source on campuses built before 1986. The filters would […]