For two years, the Florida Senate squashed House attempts to revise the state’s charter school laws. The 2015 session looks quite different. Senate Education Committee chairman John Legg, who operates a Pasco County charter school, this week filed a bill (SB 1448) that adopts the language of a House Choice and Innovation proposed committee bill on…
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We’re back! Today, we resume our FSBA Daily Updates on activities each day during the 2015 Legislative Session. These updates are sent to school board members, superintendents, and district staff members as well as hundreds of state and local government officials, parent and citizen advocates, and others who have asked to be included in our…
DetailsFederal regulators voted Thursday to impose sweeping net neutrality rules that supporters say are critical to protecting the freedom of the Internet. In a party-line 3-2 vote, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moved to embrace an approach advocated by President Obama to treat Internet service like a utility in order to prevent major companies such as Comcast…
DetailsTALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Governor Rick Scott today launched his annual Teacher of the Year Summit, bringing the state’s top teachers to the Capitol for a two-day workshop and celebration. Nearly 50 teachers of the year are participating in this year’s summit. Governor Scott said, “We know a great job starts with a great education, and everyday…
DetailsDecades after corporal punishment was banned in South Florida’s public schools, educators in the Clewiston area and 23 other Florida counties still paddle their students, and black children are much more likely than other students to be hit. Physical discipline in public schools has been on the decline for years in Florida, with the number…
DetailsStephanie Sheridan uncapped her dry-erase marker and started scribbling on the tabletop in the middle of her classroom. She then called over a few fourth-graders to demonstrate their skills. The criteria: whether they had done well on an online quiz taken at home, after watching a short lesson on YouTube. “She makes a video for…
DetailsParents and school officials in Leon County welcome the news of changes to standardized testing in Florida and say eliminating the English language arts test for 11th-graders is a step in the right direction. Gov. Rick Scott said last week he would issue an executive order suspending the exam following recommendations from Commissioner of Education…
DetailsState lawmakers, Cabinet members, judges, school board members, county commissioners, sheriffs and property appraisers may not be able to join the traditional state pension plan if they are newly elected after July 2016. That proposal is far from a reality but it is a distinct possibility as the House moves forward on a study aimed…
DetailsEducation Commissioner Pam Stewart has recommended eliminating a high school exam, making another optional and asking state lawmakers and local school districts to cut back on the amount of testing. Stewart’s recommendations are the conclusion of a statewide review of standardized testing requested by Gov. Rick Scott. “There is, without a doubt, an excess of…
DetailsFlorida school districts have until Tuesday to certify their readiness for the state’s spring computerized testing. Bay County superintendent Bill Husfelt says his schools aren’t ready. “We are not ready for the onslaught of the existing tests let alone new tests that we have not seen, have not had adequate time to prepare for and…
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