Florida’s school grades would focus on student performance on state tests, graduation rates and earning college credit or industry certifications, according to a proposal posted at the Florida Department of Education website. Florida’s school grades were intended to be an easy-to-understand way for parents to know how their child’s school is performing. But educators have […]

When Sen. Marco Rubio was growing up, his parents gave him an edict: “From a very early age they used to tell us, ‘tu tienes que estudiar,’ which means, ‘you have to study.’ So growing up I don’t ever recall not considering going to college,” Rubio told an audience at Miami-Dade College on Monday. Rubio talked at length about […]

Chris Guerrieri is a Jacksonville art teacher who also blogs about education. Last month he sent us an email about Florida’s Common Core standards. “My question was: How does Common Core affect poverty?” he asked. More than half of all Florida students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. It’s a short-hand way […]

President Barack Obama again asked Congress to expand access to early childhood education programs and defended a major federal grant program, but didn’t propose any new initiatives. Education Week has the recap here: President Barack Obama placed education at the center of a broad strategy to bolster economic mobility and combat poverty—calling on Congress in […]

Felecia Hatcher is on a mission. She wants to bridge the tech education gap in Florida’s schools and give underserved students the chance to become web-based entrepreneurs. She started the program Code Fever last year to reach that goal. “Technology will allow [the students] to build their businesses and catapult their ideas much faster and definitely […]

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said she doesn’t support a proposal from state school superintendents to overhaul the school grading system as Florida switches to new math and language arts standards — and statewide tests — next school year. The Florida Association of District School Superintendents want state leaders to replace the A-through-F grades with […]

Florida’s A through F system for school grades has been fraught with controversy. Supporters say it’s a way of holding schools and districts accountable. Critics worry that the formula to calculate the grades doesn’t reflect how well schools really prepare children. Now, in Miami-Dade County, one school has been told it probably won’t get the […]

The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is recommending changes to the state’s school grading formula it believes will make the system fairer, more stable and easier to understand for schools and parents. With state schools making the full transition to Common Core language arts, literacy and math standards, the group says Florida should modernize the nation’s […]

Gov. Rick Scott wants you to believe that additions proposed this week will mean big changes to the Common Core State Standards Florida adopted along with 44 other states. It’s what he told Republican activists at an Orlando gathering Saturday, according to the News Service of Florida: “Here’s what we’re going to ensure: These are […]

The chairman of the Senate education committee is asking the Florida Department of Education to have its plans for new standards and assessments ready when commissioner Pam Stewart speaks at a meeting next week. The education committee will meet Wednesday in Tallahassee. Chairman John Legg said what Stewart says could determine whether lawmakers delay new […]