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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May 8, 2014

A Post-Session Q & A With Senate Education Chairman John Legg

We sat down with Senate Education Committee Chairman John Legg to talk about the recently completed legislative session. Legg said it was a good year for schools, with the budget boosting per student funding and lawmakers adding more options for students who want to earn college credit while still in high school. On the year’s […]

May 5, 2014

This Week In Education Polling: The Politics Of Common Core

Two new national polls reach differing conclusions about the public’s support for Common Core math and language arts standards adopted by Florida and 43 other states. But both polls provide evidence for the idea that Common Core is more popular among swing voters in the political middle. A University of Connecticut polls finds just two […]

May 2, 2014

What In-State Tuition Means For One Undocumented Student In Florida

Mayra Rubio was 3 months old when she moved to Homestead with her brother and parents from Guadalajara, Mexico. After she graduated from South Dade Senior High, she realized she could not afford the out-of-state tuition for public colleges and universities. Undocumented students do not get the opportunity to pay in-state tuition rates. So instead, […]

April 24, 2014

Opting Out Of FCAT Can Have Consequences

Monday we told you about activists who are educating parents about what their options are when it comes to FCAT exams. While state law doesn’t allow parents to withhold their children from the exam, the law does outline alternatives to required tests. But opting out might still come with some consequences. A parent forwarded us […]

April 21, 2014

Feds Include Florida’s Largest Charter School Management Firm in Audit

UPDATE: The U.S. Department of Education audit is a broad review of charter schools across the country and not limited to Academica or the Mater Academy network it manages, a fact confirmed by the federal agency. Academica disputes the U.S. Department of Education’s initial findings and said they have responded to the agency. We’ve updated […]

Why Florida Parents Want To Opt Their Kids Out Of State Tests

Last week Gov. Rick Scott delivered an $8.5 million check to Hillsborough County schools earning good marks on the state’s grading formula. Those grades depend a lot on student FCAT scores. So Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia took a moment pump up students at West Tampa’s Graham Elementary School before this week’s testing. “Next week you’re […]

April 17, 2014

Common Core Opponents Seeking Special Legislative Session

A coalition of groups opposing Florida’s use of new math and language arts standards say they will try to force the Legislature to call a special session to address two bills which would put the standards on hold. The gambit is a long shot. Twenty percent of the Legislature must call for the special session, […]

April 16, 2014

Gov. Scott Avoids Question About House, Senate Private School Scholarship Dispute

House and Senate leaders are divided over whether students who receive a tax credit scholarship to attend a private school should have to take the state’s standardized test. The dispute — the Senate wants the requirement, the House does not — has threatened to derail a bill which would expand eligibility for the private school […]

April 7, 2014

Checking In On Education Bills As Florida Legislature Reaches Halfway Point

The 2014 Florida legislative session reached the halfway point last week, so we thought we’d check in on some of the big education bills. The Budget The House, Senate and Gov. Rick Scott mostly agree on education spending based on their proposed budgets. Both the House and the Senate approved roughly $75 billion budgets last […]

April 4, 2014

A Q & A With Charter Schools USA CEO Jonathan Hage

Our colleagues at WLRN sat down with Charter Schools USA CEO Jonathan Hage to talk South Florida business. Here’s the Q & A with WLRN’s Elaine Chen: Jon Hage heads the for-profit charter school management company, Charter Schools USA (CSUSA), based in Fort Lauderdale. The company operates 58 schools in seven states across the country, […]

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