John O'Connor is the Miami-based education reporter for StateImpact Florida. John previously covered politics, the budget and taxes for The (Columbia, S.C) State. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and the University of Maryland.
A screenshot of the Justice for Jennifer Caballero Facebook page. Protestors are asking for the resignation of the Hillsborough schools superintendent and school board chairman.
A group of parents is asking for the resignation of Hillsborough schools superintendent MaryEllen Elia and school board member Candy Olson following the deaths of two special needs students.
A protest is planned for 4 p.m. today at the school board meeting.
Herrera had a neuromuscular disorder and had trouble breathing while riding a school bus. She was unresponsive by the time she got to a hospital and died the next day.
Democratic challenger Glenda Ritz upset Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett in Indiana. The election was seen as a national referendum on education reform, particularly policies pushed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
With Bush’s help, Bennett convinced the Indiana legislature to pass laws enacting an A through F report card style grading system. It requires teachers are evaluated using student test scores, and that third graders be held back if they can not pass a reading test and expanding school choice.
Your roundup of education-related election results is here.
Florida voters rejected a handful of constitutional changes opposed by The Florida School Boards Association and other education groups, including measures that would limit state spending and allow public funding for religious groups.
Voters also approved most of the school funding measures on ballots around the state, the biggest being a $1.2 billion bond for maintenance and construction in Miami-Dade schools.
And two teachers were elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
Duval County schools have settled a lawsuit over an online charter school to be run by K12 Inc. The Florida Department of Education is investigating whether the company used improperly certified teachers.
Duval County schools have settled a lawsuit over an online charter school to be run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, according to the News Service of Florida.
The two sides agreed to dismiss the case after the school district recommended approving a second application, according to an attorney for the non-profit group which will oversee the school. The school board will decide on that application later this year.
Amendment 4 would change property tax laws for commercial properties, rentals and second homes.
Property taxes are complicated, and school officials are worried Amendment 4 will make them more so.
It’s why they’re opposing the amendment even though schools are not included in the change.
Amendment 4 is one of a handful of ballot questions intended to lower property tax bills. As with all amendments, it must be approved by 60 percent of those voting.
The amendment would give first-time homebuyers an exemption equal to half the home’s taxable value, up to the median price of a home in the county. The exemption would then be phased out over the next five years.
The change would also cut the maximum increase in taxable value on commercial property, rentals and second homes to 5 percent from 10 percent.
Amendment 5 would allow the state Senate to confirm Supreme Court judges and allow the Legislature to set the rules of state courts.
Editor’s note: This post has been corrected from its original version. Please see the bottom of the story.
A group arguing Florida’s Supreme Court judges are too political is citing the 2006 decision striking down vouchers as an example of the court deciding cases based on their own beliefs rather than the state constitution or law.
Americans For Prosperity Florida says the state Supreme Court has become “politicized” and is running advertising to educate voters about the issue.
The campaign comes as voters will decide on Amendment 5, which according to a Collins Center analysis, would require the state Senate to confirm Supreme Court judges and allow the Legislature to change the rules governing the court system.
Amendment 3 would change state spending limits. Analysts say it is more restrictive, while school and local government officials worry it will mean cuts in state funding.
One amendment would limit how much more the Florida Legislature can spend from one budget to the next. Another would limit how quickly the tax values of property can increase.
We’ll look at the first today, Amendment 3, and leave the other, Amendment 4, for tomorrow.
Amendment 3 would scrap the state’s current spending cap — which has never been exceeded — based on growth in personal income sources.
If state revenue collections exceed the amount the Legislature is allowed to spend, the extra money would have to be put into a rainy day fund for use during an economic downturn. Once that fund reaches 10 percent of the state budget, lawmakers could use excess money to reduce property taxes paying for schools or refund the money to taxpayers.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat, has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate K12.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate K12, a publicly traded online education provider that operates in 42 Florida school districts, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval counties.
“Given the seriousness of the allegation and their potentially damaging effects on Florida students enrolled in the program, I respectfully request a federal investigation of this matter,” Brown wrote.
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