FSBA Friday Five -January 12, 2018
Read 5 Things You Should Know
Betsy DeVos Releases ESSA Guide for Parents
Parents: Can’t make heads or tails of the Every Student Succeeds Act? The U.S. Department of Education has put together a cheat sheet for you. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unveiled the “parents’ guide” at a roundtable in Mississippi, with parents, students, and educators, as part of her four-state “Rethink School” tour. Read More
DetailsFlorida Legislature sets committee meeting weeks
Expect education to again be a key topic as Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee for the committee weeks leading to the 2019 legislative session. And the committee weeks are fast approaching. House and Senate leaders announced the schedule early Wednesday. The dates are set for the weeks of December 11, January 7, January 22, February 4, February 11,…
DetailsU.S. Department of Education Announces 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized 349 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Read More
DetailsSpending Bill Boosting Education Funding Clears Congress, Heads to Trump
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is very close to knowing how much money her department has to spend in the next fiscal year. On Wednesday, the House approved a spending package that includes fiscal 2019 funding for the U.S. Department of Education. The legislation, which the Senate passed last week, includes several increases for…
DetailsFlorida wins approval for its federal accountability plan
Florida has finally gotten its federal education accountability plan accepted. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sent Florida commissioner Pam Stewart a formal letter acknowledging the approval on Wednesday. Florida had been the only state in the nation not to have an approved plan. It went through five revisions — including one submitted on Monday — before DeVos…
DetailsFlorida ‘Best and Brightest’ bonus lawsuit heads to mediation
A year-old case contending Florida’s “Best and Brightest” teacher bonus program discriminates against educators of a certain age or race is headed to mediation in November.The complaint focuses on the part of the 2015 program that relies upon college entry exam scores, which many teachers — particularly those who entered the profession through a community college…
DetailsWhen New Teachers Get Mentoring, Student Math Scores Can Go Up, Study Shows
When new teachers get ongoing support from mentors, they’re better able to engage students and use assessment in instruction, and their students score higher on math assessments, according to a new study. The study, conducted by SRI Education, is an independent analysis of the New Teacher Center’s mentorship program, funded through a 2016 federal Investing…
DetailsSenate Passes Spending Bill to Increase Funding for Several Education Programs
The Senate has approved a spending package that contains funding increases for prominent education programs focusing on disadvantaged students and special education, among several others. Read More
DetailsMore Florida counties are voting to raise local taxes for schools. Is it a message to lawmakers?
In a video that appeared on YouTube in mid-May, the Republican-controlled Florida House of Representatives said “union bosses and their media allies” were pushing a “myth.” It wasn’t true, they said, that state funding for public schools had increased only 47 cents per student this year. Three months later, as the new school year got…
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