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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January 17, 2013

What The Florida Supreme Court Pension Decision Could Mean For Merit Pay Lawsuit

In 2011 lawmakers approved a law requiring public employees — including teachers — pay 3 percent of their salary into their retirement account. Public employee unions challenged the law, arguing it unconstitutionally changes a contract with workers and violates workers’ right to collectively bargain pay and benefits. A circuit court overturned the law, but Thursday […]

January 16, 2013

Board of Governors to Discuss Online Education And Hazing This Week

The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) is in Gainesville for a two-day meeting. Five members of the 17-member panel are new. Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointments last week. All can begin serving right away, although they need Senate confirmation. BOG committees overseeing the state university system will talk about budget requests, expansion of online […]

Commissioner Tony Bennett: ‘Florida Sets The Compass’ In Education

Florida’s new education commissioner made his debut before the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee this morning. Tony Bennett clearly knows how to schmooze the folks responsible for funding his office. Bennett began by telling the 13-member committee he has been an admirer from afar. “I was taught at a very young age that you can always […]

January 15, 2013

The Florida Senate’s 2013 Agenda So Far: In-State Tuition; Teacher Pay; Disabilities

While the Florida House has plenty of education-related bills to consider, Senators have introduced even more. The Senate has also introduced a bill, SB 180, granting the U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates. Those students would have to attend school in Florida for four years and apply to college within twelve months […]

Bennett Wants An “Intense Discussion” About Arming Florida Teachers

Incoming Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett used to be a teacher himself. And when StateImpact Florida asked him what he thinks about a growing conversation to arm public school teachers, he spoke as a former teacher. “I’m not going to speak as the education commissioner, I’m going to speak as a former science teacher who […]

January 14, 2013

Florida’s New Education Commissioner Tony Bennett Starts The Job Today

Tony Bennett drove from Indiana over the weekend to start his first day as schools chief in Florida today. Last month the State Board of Education hired Bennett, a Republican who served as Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction for one term. He lost his re-election bid there after Democrat Glenda Ritz organized a grassroots campaign […]

Florida Legislature Puts Tuition For Children of Immigrants At Top Of Agenda

Florida lawmakers are holding committee meetings in the state capital this week, preparing for the start of the legislative session on March 5th. So far, just a handful of education-related bills have been filed in the Florida House of Representatives. The big issue is complying with a federal court ruling that says Florida can not […]

January 10, 2013

Florida Ranked 6th Best on National Education Report Card

Florida is back in the top 10, according to Education Week’s annual ranking of state school districts. Florida ranked 6th in the 2013 Quality Counts rankings, earning top scores for standards, accountability, early childhood education and career preparation. The state’s lowest grades were for K-12 performance and school spending. Overall Florida earned a B- grade […]

Researcher Tears Apart Gates Foundation Teacher Evaluation Study

University of Arkansas education professor Jay P. Greene has weighed in on the BIll and Melinda Gates Foundation’s conclusions about its teacher evaluation study. Greene says the foundation’s conclusions were based on the politics of convincing teachers and school districts of the merits of evaluations, and not data. He takes particular aim at classroom observations, […]

January 7, 2013

Why Florida Earned A B- On A National Education Policy Report Card

California-based StudentsFirst has released a report card grading states on their education policy. Florida earned the second-highest grade in the country, a B-, behind only Louisiana. No state earned an A. The biggest reason Florida scored well? The 2011 Students Success Act, which requires teacher evaluations partially based on test scores, eliminates long-term contracts for […]

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