Mountain states are adding more teachers than the rest of the country, according to a Stateline.org analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. North Dakota led the way in percentage increase in teaching positions between 2008 and 2010, followed by Montana.
Florida added slightly more than 20,000 elementary and secondary education jobs during the three-year period, a 6 percent increase according to Census data. The growth in education jobs was flat from 2001 to 2008.
But unpacking the numbers a bit shows that teacher jobs were added while districts cut those working outside the classroom.
Florida schools have reduced the number of education jobs the Census classifies as “other” by 4,458 since 2008, a 4.4 percent decline. Since 2001, Florida schools have reduced the number of education jobs the Census classified as “other” by 13,500 positions — a 12 percent reduction.
Charter schools are championed by much of state leadership, including Gov. Rick Scott and Florida lawmakers.
More than 500 charter schools were scheduled to open this fall in Florida and all of them fit into one of three categories.
Experts say no particular type of charter school is more successful than another, but each kind of school has particular strengths and weaknesses.
The original charter school model focused on local leaders forming an oversight board and spelling out the school’s mission, goals and methodology in a contract or charter. These schools range from non-profits founded by local activists, to schools set up by cities or towns to schools organized by those with professional expertise.
Florida has also had private, for-profit companies managing charter schools since state lawmakers first approved charter schools in 1996.
School districts are beginning to manage charter schools as well, offering a growing third option.
President Barack Obama (left), U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan (middle) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (right) at a Miami rally in March.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will appear on MSNBC tomorrow, part of the parent network’s Education Nation initiative in New York City this week.
Bush will join Newark Mayor Cory Booker on “Morning Joe” at 8:20 a.m. Bush, who served from 1999-2007, is a leading national voice for education reform based on measurable student results.
Charter schools are championed by legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott, shown here in January visiting Florida International Academy in Opa Locka.
For 15 years Florida has conducted an experiment in public education.
The goal was to improve the entire education system by granting charter schools more leeway to innovate.
Welcome to StateImpact Florida’s Charter Schools 101 series examining the effect those schools have had on students, teachers, parents and communities — and what comes next.
One in every 17 Florida students attends a charter school and enrollment has tripled over the past decade.
A United States Senate study committee found that for-profit colleges are collecting nearly a quarter of all funds issued to veterans for education. According to the study, for-profit colleges benefited from more than one billion dollars in G.I. Bill money last year. That’s compared to a total distribution of just over four billion dollars.
University of Phoenix alone profited off of the G.I. Bill to the tune of nearly $210 million.
ESEA flexibility will move accountability systems toward decisions that are based on student growth and progress. They will consider more than a single test score measured against an arbitrary proficiency level.
Bombeck strongly disagreed with the extra credit, which is not a district policy:
So now they’re teaching students how to buy grades. Very nice. I can see offering some small extra credit for community service, but this is ridiculous.
Kerm, a teacher, said awarding extra credit was “ridiculous,” but that school districts weren’t living up to their responsibilities:
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, pictured campaigning in West Palm Beach this month, earns the highest grade among the 2012 GOP presidential contenders.
Jon Huntsman earns the highest grade — a B- — among the 2012 Republican presidential field, according to grades issued by Time magazine education columnist and bloggerAndrew J. Rotherham.
As governor of Utah, Huntsman raised teacher salaries, extended kindergarten and signed a statewide private school voucher law. Rotherham also sums up Huntsman’s differences from the GOP field as this:
He believes in evolution! He thinks climate change is a problem! He’s just like us! Yet some of his positions as governor of Utah suggest a less enlightened viewpoint when it comes to schools. Most notably, Huntsman tussled with Bush Administration Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings about whether Utah should be allowed to use its own school accountability system that would not disaggregate results by race and ethnicity — even though Utah has an achievement gap problem.
A handful of education items are on Gov. Rick Scott's early legislative priorities.
Gov. Rick Scott wants to cap school district administrative expenses, according to a draft legislative priorities list obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
Scott also wants to grant parents the ability to use state dollars to pay for private school tuition, books or other education expenses, according to the Sentinel story. Scott would rely on allies at former Gov. Jeb Bush‘s Foundation for Florida’s Future:
Education also makes Scott’s top tier of proposals.
But his advocacy of Texas-style higher education reforms that eliminate tenure for professors has already drawn criticism from university presidents and the state Board of Governors. Haridopolos said, “We’ll give it the full venue it deserves.”
Florida schools spent money intended for low-income student programs on teachers and other operating costs.
Florida’s largest school districts spent just half the federal stimulus money intended to improve low-income student performance on those programs, according to an investigation by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.
Instead, districts spent more than $200 million of the $400 million of the money — known as Title I — on employee salaries and other operational costs.
The result is that money intended for summer school or teacher training was never spent on those programs.
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