The small group of parents hovered over a list of words, deciding where to sort “cloud,” “photosynthesis,” and “google.” They paid particular attention to words indicating facts, evidence or conclusions. Words such as analyze, convince or insight. Students will use these words to support their conclusions, analysis and opinions. “This is the key category,” said [...]
A professor at Teacher’s College, Columbia University has set up a website to allow New York students, parents and educators to post comments about the new state English language arts test. The tests are now tied to Common Core education standards adopted by 45 states — including Florida. New York students have been taking the [...]
Right now, schools determine whether to move a student into special education classes. But a proposed bill in Tallahassee would give parents of children with special needs more power over their education. Fort Lauderdale 6th grader Mariah Harris has Down syndrome, and she wants to be a veterinary technician. “My dream is to go to [...]
Editor’s note: We’re launching a new series for the next month, asking students to tell us what life is like in Florida schools.
The students are part of Breakthrough Miami, which runs programs in the summer and during the school year for students in elementary, middle and high schools.
As many as 15 million students are missing at least one in 10 days of school every year, reducing their chance of graduating from high school or college. That’s according to a new report from GetSchooled.org and researchers at Johns Hopkins University. At a weekend education conference in Philadelphia, GetSchooled and other experts cited three [...]
This morning, the chief communications director for the Miami-Dade County school district, John Schuster said there is a reason the school did not announce Martin’s death on campus. “Shortly after Trayvon’s death, his parents asked the school’s principal for privacy in the matter,” Schuster said. “So counselors couldn’t do what they normally do. They couldn’t [...]
State law allows schools in Florida to punish students by spanking them with a paddle, which is often a wooden or plexiglass board. The administrators at most schools with corporal punishment policies ask parents for permission to paddle their children. Many principals say they will not paddle a kid against the parent’s wishes. But schools [...]
The parents of a South Florida seventh-grader forced him to wear a sandwich board to publicize his poor grades and preference for cracking up his classmates, according to WSVN television. Michael Bell Jr. is standing at a Kendall intersection wearing the sign. As other students enjoy their spring break, Michael will be out holding his [...]
Education activists say Florida lawmakers have repeatedly shut down public comment on a bill that would allow parents to choose how to restructure Fund Education Now, 50th No More and other groups critical of Florida’s recent education policy say that at each of three State House hearings on the so-called ‘parent trigger’ bill, those opposing [...]
California was the first state to adopt a ‘parent trigger,’ which allows a majority of parents in a failing school to vote on a method to restructure the school. The bill is expected to be among the most contentious education issues of the 2012 legislative session. Activists have lined up against the bill, arguing it [...]
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