We’re guaranteed a few comments every time we write about Gov. Rick Scott on StateImpact Florida. A recent post about a petition to remove Scott’s signature from college diplomas was no different. Readers rekindled the debate about whether Florida universities should “drive” more students into science, technology, engineering and math fields. Trena G said government […]

Charles Reed says Florida’s colleges and universities have lost their way. He paints a picture of a disjointed, parochial higher education system where every university and college is out for itself, and “It’s turned into what the local chamber wants, not what the state needs.” Exhibit number one, he says: USF Polytechnic’s drive for independence. […]

Teacher merit pay systems need less objectivity and more accountability if they are to work, argues an economist at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute. Rating and paying teachers based on student test scores is unlikely to improve teachers, writes Arnold Kling. It is easier to “game” the system if it is based on a simple formula, […]

While the headline of this morning’s state Board of Education meeting was Miami-Dade and Duval county schools getting another year to turn around struggling schools, the takeaway was a conversation about shortcomings in the way Florida judges troubled schools. The problem is the state expects more once schools are classified as troubled, school officials said, […]

Physics is the most  fundamental of sciences; it’s an essential stepping stone for  careers in engineering or science. But around the country, fewer than 40 percent of high school students take a physics class. In Florida , that number is much lower — only about a quarter of high school students take physics. Experts say […]

It’s game day in the 8th grade International Baccalaureate design class at Ada Merritt K-8 Center in Little Havana in Miami. The games the students are playing are designed by their classmates. And they’re based on books the students read for class. Four eighth graders prepare to set off on a board game based on […]

Recently, President Barack Obama admitted he’d made a mistake when it comes to public schools. Like most people with big news to share – he posted it on Facebook. “I also hear from parents who, rightly, worry about too much testing,” Obama said in a video posted to the White House’s Facebook page. For more […]

In Brigette Kinney’s design class at Ada Merritt K-8 center in Miami, one of the key concepts is editing and revising ideas after getting feedback. Her 8th graders created role-playing games based on books they read. And then adjust the games, after watching their classmates play. Kinney hopes Florida lawmakers will be as open to […]

Know the joke about how many college students it takes to screw in a light bulb? Probably not, since it’s not a real joke. Nor is the decision some comedians are making to avoid college campuses where they say students today are too easily offended. Back in June, comedian Jerry Seinfeld told ESPN radio that […]