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.
Polk County Sen. JD Alexander has made it pretty clear in the last week that it isn’t an issue of if USF Polytechnic will become the state’s 12th university, but when.
Like television’s Judge Lynn, Alexander has repeatedly said he’s ready to make that divorce happen.
But what’s unclear is if the new university could earn the accrediting crucial to attracting faculty and students eager to earn a valuable degree. So far, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is not clearing anything up.
Alexander told the Lakeland Ledger yesterday that he spoke to Belle Wheelan, SACS president, who assured him the university could earn a “dependent campus accreditation” by July.
Advanced calculus teacher, Orlando Sarduy writes out the mathematical equation that will help grade teachers and determine how much they get paid. The formula considers 10 factors that influence how well a student does in school, but student poverty is not one of those factors.
The UCP Bailes campus is an Orlando charter school with a mix of students with disabilities and without. Schools such as UCP could be hit by new state school grade rules..
One of the strings that comes with Florida’s exemptions from some No Child Left Behind requirements is that the state needs to include more students in its school grade formula.
This includes students with disabilities and those learning English.
Lawmakers are working on a bill and the state Board of Education will meet next week to discuss changes required for Florida’s waiver.
But state school superintendents fired off a letter to Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson yesterday, concerned that the new system would mean hundreds of state schools would suddenly earn failing grades.
A Jacksonville father of a student with disabilities has written a letter to the editor in the Jacksonville Times-Union. Here’s his concerns, referencing Helen Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, after the jump:
That’s because budget cuts mean the state is spending roughly the same amount on higher education now as it did in 2002 — and that’s before the proposed cuts in the budget year beginning July 1. The Senate has proposed $400 million in cuts while the House draft spending plan would cut $200 million.
The story is similar at Florida’s 28 state colleges, where total spending per student has declined by 7 percent between 2006 and 2010.
“The effects of disinvestment in higher education extend to the quality of life and economic vitality of Florida in the future,” the report’s authors write. “By scrimping on higher education, Florida moves further away from the most important requirement for job creation — providing a well-educated workforce for current businesses and for those we seek to attract to move to Florida.”
Viola Davis, left, is a teacher and Maggie Gyllenhaal is a parent in a fictionalized movie about school restructuring.
The parent trigger will be the next education issue to receive the Hollywood treatment later this year.
The New York Times reports producers are planning a September release for “Won’t Back Down,” a fictional dramatization of a campaign to restructure a low-performing Pennsylvania school. The movie follows on the success of charter school documentary “Waiting for Superman.”
The movie stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a frustrated parent and Viola Davis as a teacher who joins Gyllenhaal’s effort.
The movie will be produced by Walden Media, backed by conservative-leaning billionaire Phillip Anschutz. A September release is scheduled.
Florida is one of many states weighing whether to adopt a parent trigger, which allows the majority of parents in a low-performing school to choose how to restructure a school — even against the objection of teachers, administrators or school boards.
Ron Matus has left the Tampa Bay Times to work for Step Up For Students.
One of Florida’s top education reporters has taken a job with the non-profit group that oversees a scholarship program for low-income students.
Tampa Bay Times reporter Ron Matus is now the assistant director of policy and public affairs at Step Up For Students, according to The Gradebook.
Step Up for Students is the Tampa-based group that administers the state’s tax credit scholarships. Businesses earn tax credits for funding scholarships for low-income students at private schools.
Reader Scubus has a detailed response to yesterday’s story about Florida’s teacher evaluation formula:
You know how hurricane models vary in their predictions, and are not often in agreement or 100% accurate? That is a similar mathematical model. They are only as good as the underlying assumptions.
In addition, study after study shows that children in poverty do not learn at the same rate as more affluent students (which has NOTHING to do with intelligence, just opportunity) no matter how much state officials want that to be true. In addition, the model makes no allowances for attendance (I have a number of students every year who miss one quarter or more of my classes.)
Finally, a single standardized test alone tells us very, very little about an individual student. Students may have a great day or a poor day…
I do not, nor do many teachers, disagree with the goal – just the model. If there were an accurate means to grade a teacher most would be onboard. This isn’t it, and such a system has never existed. And globally, school systems that are models of success know this and do not use testing in this manner for a reason.
Rep. Marlene O'Toole, R-The Villages, says not enough Bright Futures scholars are graduating, so lawmakers want to raise standards.
Elisa Huapilla is the first person in her family to attend college.
She didn’t know what to expect at Florida State University. A lottery-funded Bright Futures scholarship pays part of the tuition.
“The transition period can be very difficult,” she says. “I had nobody at home to call to tell me how college was supposed to be. And I relied a lot on friends and peers and people like university staff who were there to help me.”
The help meant Huapilla maintained her grades — and Bright Futures money. But a House bill could wipe the scholarships from students who have trouble adjusting.
A student named an Academic Scholar with a 3.5 GPA in high school would have to earn a 3.5 GPA in college to renew the award under the proposed change. Currently, Academic Scholars need a 3.0 to renew
Florida lawmakers agree on one issue: Charter schools need more money for renovations, equipment and software.
But House lawmakers have rejected a proposal that school districts say would take money from their traditional public schools and give it to charter schools.
Committee chairman Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, said lawmakers need to find a funding solution for both types of schools.
“How do we treat all our public schools fairly? At this point I don’t see legislation that has completely satisfied that question.”
-Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna
“We have many policy issues that need to be discussed,” she said. “And that is how do we treat all our public schools fairly? At this point I don’t see legislation that has completely satisfied that question.”
The bill is the top priority of charter school advocacy groups this year, and supporters say they’re not giving up on it yet. Continue Reading →
Florida students may soon be able to pray at public schools.
School plays and football games could soon start with a student-led prayer or inspirational message, if a bill making its way through the legislature becomes law.
But some lawmakers are concerned about giving students an open forum at school events.
Supporters see the bill as a way to allow student-led prayers at school events. They say they want students to inspire classmates.
Rep. Charles Van Zant of Palatka said he doesn’t believe students will push religious views on classmates.
“This bill is not intended to advance or to endorse any religion or belief,” Van Zant said.
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