A study in Education Week makes the case for districts to get rid of middle schools in favor of K-8 schools. Harvard University researchers Guido Schwerdt and Martin R. West looked at public schools in Florida. They used statewide data to track kids in grades 3 through 10 from 2000 to 2009.
The study found “that students moving from elementary to middle school in grade 6 or 7 suffer a sharp drop in student achievement in the transition year.” The achievement drops continue through grade 10, “by which time most students have transitioned into high school. We also find that middle school entry increases student absences and is associated with higher grade 10 dropout rates.” By comparison, the data show the transition into high school in the ninth grade typically brings a brief and small drop in achievement.
The latest kerfuffle involving religion in schools comes to us from Clay County in a suburb of Jacksonville. A school principal is being sued by an assistant principal over what the plaintiff refers to as state-sponsored religion.
Linda Turner is the principal at Bannerman Learning Center in Green Cove Springs. She is being sued, along with the school district, for sending religious and political notes from her school email account. The plaintiff, Patrick Capriola, says that while he is religious, it’s not proper for people in public employment to promote such issues.
A lawsuit that claims the Florida Legislature has failed to adequately educate the state’s children is going to the Florida Supreme Court. State leaders appealed for a halt to the proceedings after a trial judge rejected their request to dismiss the case, but an appellate court voted 8 – 7 this week to allow the lawsuit to proceed.
The lawsuit was filed two years ago by half a dozen students and parents. They were joined in the suit by Fund Education Now, a nonprofit focused on education reform in Florida, and Citizens for Strong Schools, a nonprofit based in Alachua County.
A recent article in The Nation magazine accused business leaders of using legislative tactics to hide their true intentions, which include privatizing virtual public schools. Writer Lee Fang talked about Florida as a leader in the pursuit of privatized education through vouchers and charter schools. But another writer says Fang got it wrong.
Fang cited former Governor Jeb Bush’s “far-reaching ten-point agenda for virtual schools and online coursework.” He wrote that a key to Bush’s success included a requirement that Florida’s public school students take some classes online.
The article quoted Patricia Levesque, who runs two education foundations chaired by Bush. At a retreat last year, Fang said she urged education reformers to spread the opposition thin by keeping them busy with legislative proposals.
Now, writer Bill Tucker takes the original article to task for what he sees as some serious flaws.
High school dropouts looking to prepare for a General Educational Development test (GED) now have to pay for classes that used to be free. The same applies to those who want to take courses in English as a second language. The cost is minimal, but it could be a deal breaker for people having trouble making ends meet.
The Sun Sentinellays out the numbers. Nearly 340,000 adults took basic education classes last year. That number is expected to shrink this year by at least 38 percent. In Broward County alone, there’s been a 70 percent drop in students taking GED preparation courses.
Some students working on college degrees in Florida are signing a petition asking Governor Rick Scott not to sign their diplomas. The creator of the petition says it’s because of the governor’s repeated assaults on the Florida education system.
Petition author Eric Curtisson writes that Scott works constantly to remove students’ rights to higher education. Curtisson doesn’t offer examples, but the governor has gotten plenty of criticism in the education arena.
An Orlando mom just gave her child a lesson in how not to handle a bully. 31-year-old Leslie Ann Thomas is facing a string of charges for attacking an Orange County middle school student.
Investigators say Thomas did not have permission to be on school property when she entered the lunchroom and hit one of the kids. Witnesses say she blocked others from trying to help. Her daughter is also accused of participating in the fight.
It’s not known what kind of bullying her daughter endured and whether Thomas had made any efforts to discuss the problem with school administrators.
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.
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 →
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.”
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