Roll Call: New Teachers Meet Mentors; Polk-Run Charters Delayed; Equal Funding For School Buildings

Hillsborough County teachers met their advisers, in Thursday’s education headlines.

Superintendent and mentors welcome new teachers to Hillsborough – Hillsborough County schools is pairing new teachers with experienced mentors as part of its Gates Foundation-funded teacher training and evaluation program. The Tampa Bay Times

Grant allows environmental job training at FSCJ, with emphasis on veterans – A Florida State College at Jacksonville program is training workers for environmental jobs, such as cleaning up the Gulf oil spill. The program has a focus on veterans. The Florida Times-Union

Unseen Factor Delaying the District’s At-Risk Charter Schools Startup Process – “Polk County school leaders are asking the state Department of Education what’s taking so long with the paperwork for district-run charter schools.” The Lakeland Ledger

Sweetwater Elementary could close after two consecutive F’s – A new state law may force Alachua County schools to close an F-rated charter school. But the school is hoping for an exemption because it can show its students are improving. The Gainesville Sun

Battle lines drawn in Martin County School board members’ Sunshine Law case – A judge heard arguments in a court case over whether Martin County school board members violated open records laws with an impromptu school visit. TCPalm.com

Charters, traditional schools and “equitable facility funding” purpose of new state task force – A state task force is meeting today to debate equal funding for charter school and district school facilities. The Orlando Sentinel