Florida House Republicans again have set their sights on pension reform for government employees. A proposal automatically enrolling new hires in a defined-contribution plan Tuesday cleared its final House committee on a mostly party-line vote. The proposal by Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, would create survivor benefits for first responders enrolled in the so-called investment/defined…
DetailsSen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is nearing the final push in a two-year effort to crack down on public corruption. Gaetz’s Florida Anti-Corruption Act of 2016 Tuesday cleared the Senate Community Affairs Committee with a unanimous vote and is one stop away from a Senate floor vote. Among other things, SB 686 prohibits legislators from accepting…
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TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the Senate Criminal Justice Committee: SB 408 – Juvenile Civil Citations by Altman – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Requiring the establishment of civil citation or similar diversion programs for juveniles; providing definitions; specifying program eligibility, participation, and implementation requirements; providing exceptions; providing applicability; etc. [NOTE: The bill was amended with a…
DetailsFive Lake County schools are working this year to give students more personalized lessons, ones that allow them to move ahead faster, if they are ready, or to get more tailored help, if they are struggling. It is an approach that has won support from national education foundations, Florida lawmakers and the eighth graders in…
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TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In recognition of Presidents’ Day, there were no legislative committee meetings of interest today. COMING UP TOMORROW [NOTE: Nearly all meetings may be viewed via live webcast or archived videos on the Florida Channel athttp://thefloridachannel.org/.] The Senate Criminal Justice Committee will meet (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following item and others: SB 408 – Juvenile…
DetailsIt’s that time of the year again — students statewide will sit for the Florida Standards Assessment test at the end of the month, and the Florida Department of Education is working to ensure this year’s tests go off without a hitch. Beginning Feb. 29, students from grades 4-7 will sit down for the FSA…
DetailsSorry, recess moms. The push to mandate 20 minutes of daily recess in Florida’s elementary schools, which passed three House committees without opposition, won’t be heard by the Senate Education Committee this session. “I am not going to put it on the agenda,” committee chairman Sen. John Legg told the Gradebook. “It doesn’t merit a Tallahassee solution.”…
DetailsRemember the first time Florida issued school grades? It was back in the late 1990s, and they came across as a novel way to quickly show whether a school was performing well or badly. The state based the A-through-F marks on simple performance, and handed out money to schools that had top results. The concept…
DetailsThis Video Update features FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina reporting on legislation — HJR 759 / SJR 976 — proposing an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would establish a separate entity to authorize and operate charter schools as well as recently released House and Senate proposals relating to charter school capital outlay funding. Ms.…
DetailsTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida is finally releasing school grades based on tests given nearly a year ago. The Florida Department of Education on Friday issued grades for schools that are linked to the state’s new high-stakes test. The Florida Standards Assessment is based primarily on Common Core standards. The preliminary grades given out for…
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