TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate took a critical step Wednesday toward temporarily suspending school grades in response to the outcry statewide among parents, teachers and superintendents who want a smoother transition as the state shifts to new standards and tests. The Senate added a provision to its sweeping testing bill (SB 616) that would require…
DetailsMore than 25 of the 49 booster clubs that support Escambia County schools are not in compliance with federal tax regulations. David Bryant, Escambia County School District director of internal auditing, said a review of the status of Outside Support Organizations (OSOs) revealed that 18 booster clubs had never applied for tax-exempt status, and eight…
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TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the House Education Committee: HB 41 – Hazardous Walking Conditions by Metz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS) Revises criteria that determine hazardous walking conditions for public school students; revises procedures for inspection & identification of hazardous conditions; authorizes district school superintendents to initiate formal request for correction of…
DetailsA contentious proposal that would let designated teachers bring their guns to school suffered a serious setback Tuesday when a Senate panel declined to vote on it. Because the Senate Education Committee won’t meet again, the bill (SB 180) won’t have another opportunity for a committee hearing. It could still be incorporated into another proposal,…
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TODAY’S HAPPENINGS In the House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee: HB 1083 – Employment of Individuals With Disabilities by Rooney — PASSED Provides legislative findings & purpose; requires specified state agencies & organizations to develop & implement interagency cooperative agreement for certain purposes. In the Senate Community Affairs Committee: SB 1372 – Government Accountability by D.…
Details“It is not the critic who counts … the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena … who strives valiantly…” Theodore Roosevelt It takes considerable initiative for citizens to respectfully yet boldly confront lawmakers. It takes courageous leadership for legislators to admit and correct costly blunders. But that’s what happened last…
DetailsTALLAHASSEE — Four years after championing a law that inadvertently made sexting an unenforceable crime in Florida, a state senator is pushing to close that loophole. The Legislature in 2011 set out to update out-of-date statutes to address minors who send nude photos to other minors. “Unfortunately it was not written in the proper posture,”…
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FSBA LEGISLATIVE VIDEO UPDATE #4 Our Video Update for the 4th week of the 2015 Legislative Session has been posted on the FSBA website at www.fsba.org – you may access the video by clicking on the link to 2015 Legislative Session Video Update 4 under “Legislative Session Updates” (located below the pictures on our main page) or by using…
DetailsTALLAHASSEE, FLA. Florida legislators on Friday endorsed a line of changes for the state’s public schools, including easing class size penalties for school districts and encouraging students to start wearing uniforms. The Florida House passed several education bills, including one that would let privately-run but publicly-funded charter schools tap into local property taxes to pay…
DetailsA movement by parents to boycott or “opt out” of the new state assessments is small but growing, organizers say, especially on Florida’s First Coast. About 3,000 people have joined “opt out” groups around the state, said Sandy Stenoff, a parent who founded Opt Out Orlando, the oldest of the groups with 2,962 members. It…
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