Florida’s funding for after-school and mentoring programs could change

TALLAHASSEE — Republican leaders of the Florida Senate want to drastically change how they dole out funding for after-school programs that provide homework help, mentoring and gang prevention services to thousands of children, often living in Florida’s most impoverished and vulnerable neighborhoods. Senators want to increase funding, provide it to more organizations and ensure the…

Details

FSBA #FridayFive – Week of Feb. 1, 2016

1. What does a public health emergency due to Zika Virus mean?:  https://www.yahoo.com/health/florida-zika-public-health-emergency-140738703.html 2. More rigorous tests help to close “Honesty Gap”:  http://achieve.org/files/Proficient%20vs%20Prepared%202.pdf 3. Paper test takers scored higher than online test takers:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/02/04/report-kids-who-took-common-core-test-online-scored-lower-than-those-who-used-paper/ 4. US elementary and secondary education revenues and expenditures reported: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015303.pdf 5. Heard about micro schools?:  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/01/27/micro-schools-could-be-new-competition-for.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1-RM

Details

Local Florida districts offer specifics to counter lawmaker school construction cost claims

On Monday, the Florida superintendents association issued a statement accusing the House Education Appropriations subcommittee of using inaccurate information to paint school districts as poor stewards of taxpayer dollars when it comes to school construction costs. It’s one thing to say it. It’s another to back up the statement. And on Tuesday, districts began releasing…

Details

Florida superintendents fear threat to capital outlay tax revenue

Florida superintendents are going on defense to protect their locally generated tax revenue that’s dedicated to school maintenance, construction and other capital projects. The district leaders, who have met the past three days in Tallahassee, are growing increasingly concerned that state lawmakers will target the tax as a source of regular revenue for charter schools.…

Details