Florida lawmakers are considering a bill which would change the way the state calculates class size limits required by the state constitution. Lawmakers may allow district schools to use the more flexible rules granted to charter schools. District schools must calculate the class size of every classroom and count every violation. Charter schools are allowed [...]
Florida lawmakers are considering allowing the state education commissioner to partially delay implementation of new, tougher education standards and testing. Senate education committee chairman John Legg, R-Port Richey, says Education Commissioner Tony Bennett has asked for 120 days to survey Florida school districts as to whether they can meet the fall 2014 deadline for new [...]
The State Board of Education convenes this morning in Orlando with a busy agenda. You can watch live here. Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $22 billion education budget will be among the biggest draws. The recommended budget includes a boost in teacher salaries and classroom supplies, money for digital instruction materials, and funds for districts to [...]
The Lumina Foundation is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college. CEO Jamie Merisotis takes that message around the country. Last week, he spoke to the Economic Club of Florida. The foundation’s goal is for 60 percent of Americans to earn a high-quality post secondary credential or degree by 2025. Merisotis took questions [...]
FETC, one of the nation’s largest education technology conferences, opens in Orlando this week. StateImpact Florida will take a look at how state schools are trying to meet requirements to integrate more technology in lessons. _______ Facing a 2015 deadline to add more digital textbooks and materials to classroom instruction, Orange County schools chief operations officer [...]
Florida schools are in the midst of switching to new, tougher education standards adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Known as Common Core State Standards, educators say the new requirements will not only ask students what they know but require them to demonstrate how they know it. Wednesday night, St. Petersburg College [...]
Gov. Rick Scott wants teachers to get a $2,500 raise in next year’s state budget. But Scott’s proposal will cause some problems for state budget writers facing down other big-ticket education requests. Chief among them is the $441.8 million the state Department of Education has requested to upgrade school technology. The upgrades are needed as [...]
Driver Gwendolyn Tillman doesn’t usually get between students fighting on the school bus. “Usually if there are some other guys on the bus and the guys have respect for the bus drivers, the other young men on the bus will pull them apart,” Tillman said. If nobody pulls the kids apart, bus drivers are instructed [...]
Florida’s new education commissioner made his debut before the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee this morning. Tony Bennett clearly knows how to schmooze the folks responsible for funding his office. Bennett began by telling the 13-member committee he has been an admirer from afar. “I was taught at a very young age that you can always [...]
Two Florida Senate committees will discuss ideas to improve school safety and security in Tallahassee this week. It’s an issue that is suddenly considered a priority for lawmakers. Districts have been reviewing their security procedures since 26 people were killed – most of them students – inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last [...]
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