Reader feedback is an important part of building StateImpact Florida’s education coverage. Feedback Loop will be a regular feature highlighting your questions, criticisms and comments. Here’s what you said about our reporting this week. Reader Catherine saw our blog post about testing giant Pearson’s tendrils throughout the growing education business. Catherine questioned the relationship: I […]

Influential state Sen. J.D. Alexander made his pitch for a separate Polk County university to the State University System Board of Governors Thursday. Alexander, R-Polk and chairman of the Senate budget committee, wants the University of South Florida Polytechnic to split from the USF system. WUSF radio’s Steve Newborn reports: So far, the site of […]

Florida’s teacher union will challenge a law ending long-term contracts and requiring merit pay in court, according to the Associated Press. The law, known as the Student Success Act or S. 736, was passed this spring. School districts are just starting to design systems to evaluate teachers and pay the highest-rated teachers more. For more […]

Is it possible to evaluate a college professor the same way NFL scouts measure the speed, strength and quickness of college athletes? Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants to have that debate. He’s looking to a controversial Texas proposal as a guide. The Texas model has sparked a Lone Star backlash from schools concerned the plan […]

The Texas Observer‘s Abby Rapoport takes a look at publishing giant Pearson and the school testing business. Pearson designs and administers Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test as well as Texas’ standardized equivalent. Pearson drew criticism last year when the company missed its deadline for FCAT results despite a $254 million contract. The Texas Observer story also […]

Voters would once again choose Florida’s top education official if a bill proposed by a state senator becomes law. Stuart Republican Sen. Joe Negron introduced the constitutional amendment to elect the Commissioner of Education Monday. The commissioner has been appointed since voters amended the state constitution in 1998. Negron’s bill would also dissolve the state […]

The Texas model is doing to higher education what the Florida model did for K-12, at least according to supporters of the seven-point reform plan. Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, has been passing the plan around to higher education officials and has tentatively signaled his support in interviews. The reforms are a hallmark of Republican […]

Hillsborough County has won another national education grant, this time to improve principal training. The Wallace Foundation announced Hillsborough was one of six districts to share a $75 million, six-year grant. Districts will receive $7.5 million to $12.5 million to develop programs in four areas: rigorous job requirements, high-quality training, selective hiring, and on-the-job evaluation […]

First grade teacher Elton Wright feels powerless. He and his wife, also a teacher, are absorbing a 3 percent cut in pay required earlier this year by the Florida Legislature. “People are angry,” said Wright, who teaches at Eagle’s Nest Elementary School in Orange County. “They feel as though this was forced on them. There […]