His book points to racial biases against minorities in the SAT verbal section and gender biases against females in the math section. Continue Reading →
In time for Veterans Day, the Florida Department of Education is reminding older veterans about a program to obtain their high school diplomas. It applies to Florida veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War who joined the military before completing high school.
“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, and this is but a small token of appreciation for their courage and sacrifice at a time when our country needed them,” said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.
Supporters of independence for USF Polytechnic in Florida have won a crucial vote by the university system Board of Governors. But they didn’t get everything they wanted.
University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft unsuccessfully argued to keep USF Polytechnic in the fold.
Board members voted 12 – 3 in favor of splitting Polytechnic from the University of South Florida…but not right away. USF Polytechnic has to jump over some hurdles before it becomes Florida’s 12th university.
It was as much drama as you can get at a Board of Governors meeting. In one corner was USF President Judy Genshaft. Up until then, she’d been pretty quiet about the proposed loss of one of USF’s branch campuses.
But Thursday in front of the Board of Governors, she came out swinging.
“This is not the right time, either economically, educationally, or practically for a drastic change to the USF system,” Genshaft said.
We’re live-blogging the university system’s Board of Governors Meeting, starting at 3:30. Top on the agenda: whether to allow USF Polytechnic to split from the University of South Florida and become the state’s 12th university.
Ohio voters have rejected a law that significantly weakened the collective bargaining power of more than 350-thousand public employees, including teachers. The bill was signed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich last spring.
Opponents immediately launched a campaign to overturn the law through a ballot referendum that became known as Issue 2. They were successful, with 61.3 percent of the votes in favor of tossing the law. The group behind the effort spent three times as much money as their opponents.
What are the chances of a similar law being passed in Florida? Continue Reading →
As college students “Occupy USF” this afternoon, one of their biggest complaints is the rising cost of tuition. Yes, it’s up…but it’s still cheaper to go to college in Florida than just about anywhere else.
Our friends at The Florida Current have come up with a cool graphic showing the tuition trends, which they’re allowing us to republish here on StateImpact Florida. Continue Reading →
The Florida Department of Education is touting a report that highlights the charter school movement. Research from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools finds that Florida has eight of the nation’s top 50 districts for the number of charter school students in 2010-11. Orange County is the leader with a 42 percent increase in charter school students over the prior year.
Florida had five charter schools in 1996. Fifteen years later, the state has 519 charter schools. Nearly 71 percent of them are considered high performing, getting an “A” or “B” grade in 2010.
“The growth of charter schools in our state will continue to rise as we deliver viable options to families,” said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.
“Charter schools provide options for parents seeking the best learning environment for their children,” said Governor Rick Scott. “Charter schools play an important role in making sure Florida has the best educated workforce.”
USF Polytechnic could soon shed the “USF” and become Florida’s 12th independent public university, but is that a good idea?
On Wednesday afternoon, Florida’s Board of Governors is scheduled to talk about, and perhaps vote on, whether USF Polytechnic in Polk County should be allowed to split from the University of South Florida. Continue Reading →
We’ve heard plenty about the need for more nurses. But students who want to become nurses are being turned away from training programs because there aren’t enough instructors to teach them.
Schools are looking for alternatives. The latest is the University System of Georgia, where leaders hope computers can fill in some of the educational gaps. The idea is to create online doctorate programs for people who can’t relocate. Those who want to help educate future nurses would be able to continue working while pursuing the required high-level degree.
Florida International Academy charter school students in Opa Locka, Florida.
Charter schools are public schools, but the two public options have a stronger appeal for some students than others.
Here are five differences between district school students and charter school students according to a StateImpact Florida analysis of Florida Department of Education 2010-2011 school year data.
Charter school students are:
More likely to be Hispanic – Hispanics comprise a larger percentage of charter school students, marking the most significant difference between the demographics of traditional public schools and charter schools.
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