Florida School Boards Association
Last week the Orange County School Board voted unanimously to join numerous other Florida school districts in petitioning the courts to declare recently enacted House Bill 7069 unconstitutional. The decision to join the litigation was not made lightly, and was made only after concluding that constitutional principles of a uniform, high-quality education and local control…
DetailsMike Mogil doesn’t believe climate change is caused by humans. The 72-year old former National Weather Service meteorologist says global temperatures have been fluctuating for millennia, and recent extremes could very well have nothing to do with mankind. Now, he wants to make sure Florida’s public school students get the same perspective. Mogil is one…
DetailsDeer Park Elementary had a problem. Its discipline referrals and warnings were on the rise, with 433 incidents last year for 574 students, which didn’t bode well for the school’s academic performance. “There is a direct correlation between disruptions in the classroom and how well students learn,” said principal Margie Polen, who pointed to the…
DetailsClick below to read Executive Director Andrea Messina’s top picks for this week’s education news. Read. Learn. Share. Retweet. 1. How big is the youth sexting problem? READ ABOUT IT 2. What is the impact of screen time on students? READ ABOUT IT 3. New research confirms teacher shortage getting worse: READ ABOUT IT 4. Are comic books…
DetailsA new study from criminology researchers at Florida State University reveals that a more diverse school board can lead to more equitable school punishment among black, white and Hispanic students. The team found that black and Hispanic students were more likely to be suspended in schools with larger minority populations. However, white students attending schools with larger…
DetailsAn effort to equate computer coding with foreign languages for high school students seeking credit for college admission has returned to Tallahassee for a fourth attempt. Killed in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the measure [SB 180] is again sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican. And once again, the proponents of strong foreign…
DetailsHave you missed fights over whether to increase the U.S. government’s borrowing limit? You might be getting a special treat soon. Many education advocates, however, likely aren’t so thrilled. The recurring squabble over raising the debt ceiling has roots in 2011 when, in exchange for increasing the borrowing limit, Congress imposed mandatory spending caps on…
DetailsThey said it wouldn’t come close to being enough. Florida school district leaders fought during the 2017 legislative session for permission to increase their local tax rate for capital project funding, anticipating they would have to share with charter schools, knowing they had more projects than revenue, understanding the state’s portion had been low for…
DetailsDo you have an idea for a policy that would make Florida a better place? If so, the deadline to submit it to a group that could help make it a reality may be fast approaching. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission — a body convened every 20 years to recommend amendments to the state Constitution — has recommended Sept.…
DetailsMor than half of the Florida traditional public schools eligible to vie for newly minted “Schools of Hope” grants submitted applications by Tuesday’s deadline, the Florida Department of Education reported. The program was a late add-on to a House proposal that set aside millions of dollars to support the creation of new charter schools to…
Details