‘Best & Brightest’ teacher bonus plan advances with key Senate vote but hurdles remain

TALLAHASSEE – In a pivotal vote, a Senate education committee on Wednesday narrowly gave its support for continuing a controversial program that awards teacher bonuses based, in part, on how well they did on college-entrance exams. Although the “Best and Brightest” program is in its first year, senators didn’t debate it last year — only the House did —…

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Pro-charter school constitutional amendment targets Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County’s School Board has angered the charter school industry by rejecting two charter applications for not being “innovative.” Now the charter movement’s allies in the Florida Legislature are pushing back. A state House committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would change the Florida Constitution to give voters the option to let charter schools win approval…

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FSBA Daily Updates: Legislative Session 01-20-2016

TODAY’S HAPPENINGS [NOTE:  The bills listed below are linked to the each bill’s website where you can find information about the bill including the bill sponsor, committees of reference, and staff analysis.  The committees/subcommittees are linked to each committee’s website where you can find information about the committee including the committee’s leadership, membership and staff, the committee’s…

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Social media: Friend or foe?

Is social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram your district’s friend or foe? The correct answer is YES. It is your friend when it is used to build community engagement and support, share good news, and foster communication. It is your foe when it is used to foster inappropriate relationships and share harmful or false information.…

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Tax-credit scholarship advocates target FEA in massive rally

TALLAHASSEE — Several thousand supporters of tax-credit funded scholarships targeted the statewide teachers’ union in a massive rally near the Capitol on Tuesday. Black and Hispanic religious leaders and civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King III, implored the Florida Education Association to drop its lawsuit challenging the voucher-like program that serves about 75,000 students.…

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Pre-emption, a question of who’s the boss

The state legislature is meeting until March 11 and that has local governments looking anxiously at the state capitol. Lawmakers have filed more than 20 bills seeking to pre-empt local authority on issues including oil and gas regulations, construction standards for abortion clinics and whether a town can declare itself a sanctuary city. Tallahassee City Commissioner…

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