Florida School Boards Association
Forget the FCAT. Think FSA instead. Florida’s 15-year-old test officially gave way Monday to the Florida Standards Assessment, with the launch of a new website that gives a first look at the state’s new accountability exams. “We wanted parents and students and teachers to see the different types of questions there might be,” said Vince…
DetailsMore Florida students soon will be eligible for private-school vouchers under controversial legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott. Here are the details: Q. What does the new law do? The new law expands the Tax-Credit Scholarship Program, which already provides private-school scholarships to low-income students, from $4,880 to $5,272. That means parents…
DetailsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s school voucher program is no longer just for low income families. It’s been expanded to now include the middle-class. This comes at a cost to tax-payers and some say public schools will pay the ultimate price. Colleen Wood has two children that attend one of Florida’s highest ranking public school districts;…
DetailsThe League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC Florida) is disappointed that Gov. Rick Scott signed voucher expansion provisions for private schools in SB 850 into law, something that affects Latino students who are trying to learn English disproportionately in the state. In doing so Governor Scott ignored the issues raised by so many parent,…
DetailsSome Florida school district elected officials are joining the push by parent and teacher groups asking Gov. Rick Scott to kill SB 850, which lawmakers sent to him late last week. The bill does many things, such as requiring school districts to create collegiate high schools with their local colleges. But the lines that have riled…
DetailsNo matter what you’ve read or heard about the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in Florida’s schools, the reality is that it’s been a tough six years for the idea that every Florida K-12 student should be scientifically literate. The science literacy cause reached its highest point on Feb. 19, 2008…
DetailsBill Gates knows a thing or two about product development. So when the Microsoft billionaire’s foundation recommends that states wait at least two years before assigning high-stakes consequences to new Common Core State Standards testing schemes, Tallahassee should listen. Maintaining Florida’s already discredited school grading scheme simply for continuity’s sake makes no sense. A change…
DetailsTALLAHASSEE — Parent and teacher groups are turning the pressure up on Gov. Rick Scott to veto a proposed expansion of the state school voucher program. Members of the Florida PTA, grassroots parent groups, the Florida Conference of NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the statewide teachers union have launched a campaign…
DetailsIn this edition of The Sunshine Economy: The school year may be over, but the next chapter in public education begins in less than three months: Common Core State Standards. However, Florida public school kids won’t follow Common Core, at least not in name. The state has dubbed the standards “Florida Standards.” Still, the principles…
DetailsWe are excited to launch the new FSBA App. Now FSBA members can get real-time education news, training materials and conference agendas on the go — all to further FBSA’s mission and increase student achievement through the development of effective school board leadership and advocacy for public education. Here are 12 reasons why you should download the new…
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