University of Florida in Gainesville is a top party school according to Newsweek.
For those who love higher education rankings, the last week has been a bonanza.
The lists suggest Florida has room for improvement in certain areas — unless you’re looking for a party school that doles out an easy curriculum.
First, we look at Forbes’ annual list of America’s 650 Top Colleges. These rankings focus on quality of teaching, great career prospects, high graduation rates and low levels of debt.
The list includes private and public institutions, and Florida has just one entry in the top 100.
Juan Galvez is going into 4th grade. His parents are from Bolivia and Guatemala, and they only speak Spanish.
When it comes to homework, Juan is usually on his own.
“My mom helps me a little because she knows the math,” said Juan. “But with reading, I’m good. I do it by myself.”
Students learning English in Ft. Lauderdale, such as Galvez, are getting free help with reading this summer.
A six-week camp has been growing steadily since it was founded four years ago. Now, because of changes in Florida testing requirements, these kids are being challenged to learn reading and writing faster.
We know that a lot of children depend on schools for their meals through free and reduced-price food programs.
So when school is not in session, these kids may go hungry for much of the day.
It’s a problem big enough that the Florida Department of Agriculture provides a summer food program. Funds go to schools and parks and recreation programs where children from low-income families can get up to two meals a day.
The event is expected to bring a boost in state revenue.
Shoppers will find tax breaks on school supplies that cost up to $15 and clothing items that cost up to $75.
Stores tend to offer big bargains to coincide with the tax cut, and shoppers wind up spending money on taxable items, too.
“The state actually makes a little bit more money during the period even though there’s a tax break,” said Rick McAllister with the Florida Retail Federation. “It really does have a huge stimulus effect on spending.”
A team of educators and community leaders gathered this week to set standards for FCAT 2.0 writing.
The panel went through a lot of data before settling on a school grade writing performance level of 3.5. That means students would need to score 3.5 out of a possible 6 to pass.
Protesters carry posters reading "I am Trayvon Martin" during a rally in downtown Washington DC on March 28, 2012. Protesters gathered outside the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) headquarters to protest against the laws protecting the "justifiable homicide" first approved in Florida.
This corporate‐funded 501(c)(3) organization…has unprecedented access to lawmakers and to the composition of the bills they pass into law. Out of Florida’s 160 state legislators, 60 have had ties with ALEC since 2010 through dues records or records of its task forces where corporate lobbyists vote as equals with legislators on “model” bills behind closed doors.
ALEC’s website says it “works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public.”
The groups behind the report don’t see it that way. They include Progress Florida, Florida Watch, People For the American Way, Center For Media and Democracy, Common Cause.
The law says parent can choose how to reform a low-performing school if a majority of parents sign a petition. They can replace some or all of the staff, turn it into a charter school under private management or even shut it down.
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