Students don’t need to pass the writing test to advance to the next grade. But, the percentage of students scoring at least a 3.5 – on a scale of 1 to 6 – is used to calculate school grades.
The results for 2013 show students who scored a 3.5 and above increased by 4 percentage points over last year, and those scoring at 4.0 and above increased by 5 percentage points.
JMI's Bob Sanchez says the report released by the U.S. Census Bureau wasn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison of per-student funding among the states.
As the school year is winding down, Florida school districts are looking ahead to next year and the additional funding coming their way.
Almost half a billion dollars is available to boost the salaries of teachers and other personnel. Plus, spending is going up by more than $400 per student.
Legislative leaders have repeatedly said “education is the big winner” in the state budget that goes into effect July 1.
But, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report this week that may have taken the wind out of some sails.
The report, Public Education Finances: 2011, found Florida ranks 42nd among the states and the District of Columbia for per-pupil spending.
A couple of problems with the report:
It’s outdated. A lot has happened with Florida’s budget since mid-2011.
It doesn’t explain where the money goes. How the money is spent is good to know.
The totals from the U.S. Census Bureau – including federal revenue – were compiled before Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature cut about $1.3 billion from education funding.
Since then, the state has put about $2 billion back into education, so Florida students may be faring a little better these days.
For example, Florida’s share of per-student spending is going up by more than $400 in the budget year starting in July.
The panel heard an update from Education Commissioner Tony Bennett on three strategic initiatives being carried out over the next year.
The initiatives are part of a reorganization at the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) that involves analyzing every position. A lot of job descriptions may change to accommodate the new initiatives.
For example, jobs related to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) will change as the FCAT is phased out and new assessments are developed.
But board member Kathleen Shanahan was less concerned about plans for reorganization and more interested in focusing on Common Core State Standards.
“This wave is coming to kill Common Core,” Shanahan said. “I don’t want to be seen as a board lost in reorg.”
“No one is a more aggressive advocate for Common Core than I have been,” Bennett said. “The department (FDOE) is going to deploy more aggressively than any department in the country on Common Core.”
Bennett says the following three initiatives are being carried out as planned, with FDOE taking great care to abide by state and federal statutes. Continue Reading →
The total K-12 education budget for 2013-14 is $20.3 billion. Per student funding increased more than $400 to $6,779, and $480 million was set aside to boost salaries for teachers and administrators.
Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a 3 percent tuition hike and a $14 million college building sought by Senate President Don Gaetz.
Gov. Rick Scott spoke to reporters this afternoon about his decision to cut $368 million out of the $74.5 billion budget sent to him by the Florida Legislature.
“In my case and my wife’s case, we didn’t have parents that could pay for higher education. So the cost of tuition was very significant to us,” Scott said. “I am absolutely committed to keeping tuition low.”
“This is not a political decision. This is a decision for Florida families,” Scott said. “Tuition cannot continue to go up the way it’s been going up.”
Scott said his “filter” in determining whether to veto each item came down to three questions:
Does it help families get more jobs?
Does it improve the state’s education system?
Does it make government more efficient in order to keep the cost of living low?
Scott said he’s asked university and college presidents to think about how they can make sure students get degrees that will result in jobs.
“When they finish, do they have a job? Could they afford their education? How much debt are they going to have? We cannot put our students in a position where they can’t afford higher education,” Scott said.
There’s been a question about whether Scott’s tuition veto is constitutional because it’s not an actual line item. He has to change the budget language that sets student tuition per credit hour.
But Scott said he’ll fight any legal challenge to the veto.
Gov. Rick Scott used his line item veto power to cancel the Florida Legislature's 3 percent tuition hike.
Gov. Rick Scott signed the 2013-14 state budget into law today. He also sent a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner explaining his decision to veto a tuition hike.
“We are also holding the line on tuition by vetoing the Legislature’s recommended 3 percent tuition increase on our college and university students,” the governor wrote.
“I believe it is incumbent upon state leaders to ensure the cost of higher education remains accessible to as many Floridians as possible,” Scott said.
“Florida should be proud that we have one of the most affordable high-quality college and university systems in the country,” Scott wrote, “now also offering $10,000 baccalaureate degree programs.”
TaxWatch bills itself as an “independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research institute and government watchdog.” The group targets 107 items for veto, including some education-related projects.
Just because a project is labeled as a “turkey,” doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile expenditure.
“What we’re looking for is that they followed the established budget processes, that the things that were funded were subject to public scrutiny,” said TaxWatch’s Robert Weissert. “That’s not a judgement of the value of the project.”
In other words, these turkeys didn’t go through the normal debate process among lawmakers or the public may not have had a chance to review them.
Here is a sampling of this year’s TaxWatch education turkeys:
Next month would have been Saunders’ three-year anniversary as president.
While the university is showcasing her string of accomplishments, there was no way to get around a spate of missteps in recent months.
“There is no doubt the recent controversies have been significant and distracting to all members of the University community,” Saunders said in her resignation letter.
“The issues and the fiercely negative media coverage have forced me to reassess my position as the President of FAU,” Saunders wrote. “I must make choices that are the best for the University, me and my family.”
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