Key Florida senators will push sweeping legislation this spring that aims to cut the number of standardized exams students take and lessen the impact testing has on public schools. These members want a “return to sanity,” said Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, who is spearheading the effort. Read More
DetailsFollowing directions to propose millions of dollars in education spending cuts, Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations chairman Rep. Manny Diaz told his committee members Thursday that no program should be considered sacred. Read More
DetailsMajor changes could be coming for millions of Floridians who get health care through Medicaid or through the federal exchanges of Obamacare. Just what those look like and when they will take effect is anyone’s guess, leaving state lawmakers trying to piece together an $82 billion budget in a bind. Read More
DetailsFlorida’s public education system could see millions of dollars of funding reduced in the coming year, under scenarios put forth Tuesday by the state House Appropriations Committee. Citing flat revenue this year, with anticipated declines in the coming two years, chairman Rep. Carlos Trujillo asked members to go through a budget cutting exercise aimed at…
DetailsFlorida’s children rank 40th in the nation when it comes to their health, education and economic well-being, new data suggests, and close to a million of them are living in poverty — a number that dipped slightly from a year earlier. The report, released today by Florida Kids Count, part of a nationwide project of…
DetailsSeeking to keep higher-education costs low and help more students graduate on time, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday will outline an ambitious legislative agenda to cap student fees, eliminate sales taxes on textbook purchases and extend the Bright Futures scholarships to summer classes. Read More
DetailsA growing number of Florida teachers has qualified for the controversial Best and Brightest bonus that’s based, in part, on their college entry exam scores. Districts deemed 7,188 educators as eligible for the state-funded award, which boosts the pay of teachers who earned a “highly effective” evaluation rating and also scored in the top 20…
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GEARING UP FOR THE 2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION The Legislature has begun holding Interim Committee Meetings in preparation for the 2017 Legislative Session that will officially begin on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. As always, we will report on events during each week of the Interim Committee Meetings and, once the Session begins, we will resume providing…
DetailsTwo years have passed since Florida lawmakers acknowledged, under mounting pressure from parents and teachers, that public school children might be overtested. The Legislature took steps to limit testing hours and eliminate some exams, amid criticism over a botched spring computerized assessment cycle. Read More
DetailsThe controversial “Best and Brightest” bonus program for Florida teachers could be headed for changes in the upcoming legislative session, though the dimensions of those revisions are still murky. Read More
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