Influence

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Education is big business. These are stories about the politicians, businesses, lobbyists and other leaders seeking to impact education decisions.

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August 27, 2013

At Scott’s Education Summit, A Common Core Counter-Revolt At Table 1

Table 1 was not going to play along. The organizers of Gov. Rick Scott’s education summit had broken the three-dozen attendees into groups and asked them to write “vision statements” about the Common Core State Standards. The groups would pick and choose their favorite statements But Table 1 – where two superintendents, the president of […]

August 26, 2013

Three-Day Education Summit Underway In Clearwater

Florida educators have kicked off a three-day education summit in Clearwater to discuss standards, testing, the state school grading formula and teacher evaluations. Gov. Rick Scott invited more than three dozen people to the summit, including parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, representatives from unions and other professional groups, lawmakers, business leaders and others. So far, participants […]

What To Watch At This Week’s Education Summit

Gov. Rick Scott has called state education leaders together for a three-day summit in Clearwater starting today. Scott has put four items on the agenda: State education standards known as Common Core; the test which will assess those standards and (mostly) replace the FCAT; how Florida should revise its A-through-F school grading formula; and teacher […]

August 20, 2013

What Education Experts Said About Tony Bennett’s Resignation

Every month, Washington, D.C.-based education policy firm Whiteboard Advisors anonymously survey “insiders” about their views on education issues. August’s survey is all about former Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett. Whiteboard’s insiders were evenly split — 50/50 — on whether Bennett should have resigned. Whiteboard also asked about the effect Bennett’s resignation will have on Common […]

August 15, 2013

Tony Bennett’s Last-Minute School Grade Changes Benefited 165 Indiana Schools

Our colleagues at StateImpact Indiana have crunched the numbers and found that 165 schools benefited from changes to the school grading formula former Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett made in 2012 while the elected leaders of Hoosier State schools. Much of the focus has been on emails between Bennett and staff which revealed Bennett’s concern […]

August 14, 2013

St. Johns County Republicans Have A Few Questions About New Education Standards

The St. Johns County Republican Assembly is the latest GOP group to ask questions — quite literally — about new education standards fully adopted by Florida and 44 other states. The group has adapted a list of questions first posed by North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest about the origins, content and adoption of the […]

August 12, 2013

Why Education Could Hurt Jeb Bush’s 2016 Presidential Chances

Two 2016 presidential horse race stories posit that former Gov. Jeb Bush’s stock is down following the recent resignation of Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and Florida and Indiana lawmakers questioning the veracity of the A-to-F school grading systems Bush pioneered. Bush hasn’t said whether or not he intends to run in 2016. Bush built his […]

August 6, 2013

Indiana Panel Begins Review Of Common Core Education Standards

Indiana lawmakers held the first of a series of hearings on the future of Common Core State Standards yesterday. The first hearing focused on the quality of the standards, while subsequent meetings will look at assessment and cost. The Indiana hearings are important because the Hoosier State has become something of a proxy for Common Core […]

August 1, 2013

Tony Bennett Resigns As Florida Education Commissioner

Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett resigned his post Thursday following questions about his role in changing the state’s grading formula to boost the grade of an influential Indiana charter school while leading Hoosier State schools in 2012. Bennett called the charges “malicious” and “unfounded,” but said he did not want to become a distraction in […]

July 30, 2013

Education Groups Come To Tony Bennett’s Defense

The Foundation for Florida’s Future and Michael Petrilli, writing at The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, are defending Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett’s decision to change Indiana’s school grading formula while leading Hoosier State schools in 2012. The change boosted a notable charter school to an A grade from an initial C grade. Emails published by […]

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