U.S. Department of Education Letter: Assessment, Accountability, and Reporting Requirements for School Year 2020-2021

February 22, 2021 Good evening, Late this afternoon the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to the chief state school officers “inviting states to request a waiver for the 2020-2021 school year of the accountability and school identification requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).  A state receiving this waiver would not…

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MEMO: Senate President Simpson, 2021 Opening Day and Session Protocols

THE FLORIDA SENATE SENATOR WILTON SIMPSON President MEMORANDUM SUITE 409, THE CAPITOL, 404 SOUTH MONROE STREET ▪ TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-1100 ▪ TELEPHONE (850) 487-5229 Senate’s Website: www.flsenate.gov TO: All Senators All Senate Professional Staff FROM: Wilton Simpson SUBJECT: 2021 Opening Day and Session Protocols DATE: February 17, 2021 Thank you for your partnership and commitment…

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UPDATE: Governor Issues EO-01 DOE Testing, Accountability Discussed During Senate Committee (February 15)

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued 2021-E0-01: WAIVING STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE FLORIDA EDUCATION CODE, AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 20-52, MADE NECESSARY BY THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.  The order suspends portions of section 1008.22(7), F.S., to modify spring 2021 testing windows and extend the release of assessment…

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MEMO: Student Membership Counts & Federal Funds (sent by House Speaker Chris Sprowls)

FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Chris Sprowls, Speaker To: Florida’s District School Superintendents From: Chris Sprowls, Speaker Date: February 11, 2021 Re: Student Membership Counts & Federal Funds Dear Florida Superintendents, As you know firsthand, COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges and unforeseen complications to the delivery of K-12 public education in Florida. I appreciate all that…

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REPORT: Interim Committees Week 3

Week 3 of Interim Committee Meetings is now complete. Several education-related bills were heard this week and committees continued hearing presentations and budget updates. Covid-19 protocols remain in place for both House and Senate, but we encourage members to access resources on our Legislative Session page and to continue communicating with their local delegations on…

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School voucher reform bill clears Senate Education Committee via Florida Politics

School voucher reform bill clears Senate Education Committee Proponents argue the bill makes navigating the state’s school-voucher system easier. By Jason Delgado on February 3, 2021 The Senate Education Committee advanced a sweeping proposal Thursday that further promotes Florida’s school choice options.  The measure, SB 48, passed along a party-line 6-4 vote. Sen. Manny Diaz, a South Florida…

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COVID-19 business liability bill reaches final House committee stop via Florida Politics

COVID-19 business liability bill reaches final House committee stop Democrats wanted to modify what the courts are asking physicians to certify in liability cases. By Renzo Downey on February 3, 2021   A bill creating COVID-19 liability protections for businesses is one step away from going to a vote in the House. The House Pandemics…

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