Rep. Carlos Trujillo sponsors the Parent Empowerment bill. The measure is much like the one that narrowly failed on the final day of session last year.
House Choice and Innovation subcommittee approved The Parent Empowerment in Education bill, better known as the parent trigger, Thursday.
The bill (HB867) is making a return after passing the House last year but dying in the Senate on a tie vote the final day of the legislative session.
Orange County Superintendent Barbara Jenkins was recognized during Gov. Rick Scott's State of the State address.
When Gov. Rick Scott gave his State of the State speech this week, he made a point of recognizing educators who “help make dreams come true for the next generation.”
“Barbara, will you please stand so we can honor your commitment to the teachers in your district and your dedication to student achievement,” asked Scott.
After her moment in the spotlight, Jenkins spoke with us about her district’s move toward Common Core State Standards.
The standards have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Common Core standards emphasize deeper understanding of fewer topics, and ask students what they know and prove how they know it.
“I think it’s just good, sound education for our students to be 21st century learners, to delve deeply into things like creative thinking and problem solving and justifying your answer,” Jenkins said. “That kind of stretch for our students is going to be good for public education. It’s going to help transform what we do for our children.”
Florida has yet to join other states pledging to adopt new science standards which include teaching about human-caused climate change.
Florida is not helping lead efforts to develop new science standards, our colleagues at WLRN report, and it’s unclear if the state will adopt the standards.
The new standards would begin teaching students in elementary school about the effects of climate change.
The science standards are expected to be released next month. The Sunshine State is not one of the roughly 40 states which have said they will adopt the standards or may adopt the standards.
By contrast, Florida is leading the development of a new test to assess the new Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts. The new standards are scheduled to take effect for every Florida student beginning in the fall of 2014.
State lawmakers might require school districts post a schedule of district-required tests online, something Hillsborough County schools and other districts already do.
They range from Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests and biology exams required to graduate high schools, to alternative tests for special needs students and personal fitness exams.
Not every student has to take every test — those personal fitness exams, for instance — and not every one is a state or federal requirement. Hillsborough County schools list them all on elementary, middle and high school calendars and note which ones are state requirements.
Hillsborough County schools spokesman Stephen Hegarty said the district has posted its testing schedule since at least 2005. Miami-Dade schools and many other large- and medium-sized Florida districts also post a schedule.
Third grade students will spend at least eight hours a year taking Florida’s next standardized test, while high school juniors will spend nearly 10 hours a year to complete the new online exam.
A Florida 8th grader — taking the FCAT reading, math, science and writing tests — will spend 8 hours and 20 minutes on testing this year. Under the new exam scheduled for the 2014-2015 school year, 8th graders will have an additional 65 minutes of math and English language arts testing and will still have to take the 160-minute FCAT science exam.
PARCC
Third grade students will spend eight hours over the course of the school year completing Florida's next standardized test. High school juniors will spend nearly 10 hours on the new exam.
The test, known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, will replace most of the current Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The test is designed to assess new education standards Florida, 44 other states and the District of Columbia have fully adopted, known as Common Core State Standards. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia are partnering to develop PARCC.
Tuesday the coalition designing the test released new guidelines for states, including how much time students will spend taking the test and an interactive tool to help school districts determine how many computers and how much Internet bandwidth they will need.
“And I ask you to please consider that recommendation very carefully,” Scott said, according to the prepared speech. “On this point, I just cannot budge. I ask you again today to send me a budget that significantly increases state funding for education.”
Scott argued teachers deserve a raise. And then he asked lawmakers to remember a a favorite teacher. Scott didn’t threaten a veto if lawmakers disagree.
“Like me, you all are probably here today thanks to a great teacher who believed in you,” Scott said. Then Scott asked for a show of support — at once literal and metaphorical.
“Will you please stand now in honor of that great teacher?”
Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr. wants school districts to post testing schedules for local assessments. They're already required to post schedules for statewide tests.
A House committee unanimously approved a bill requiring school districts to post standardized testing schedules online.
Schools districts would have to identify additional testing they’ve required. Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr, R-Hialeah, said districts would have to post the schedule by October 1st of each school year.
“This allows for all of the stakeholders in the districts – parents, teachers community members – to know exactly what’s going going on and which tests are local tests, which tests are state mandated tests,” Diaz said.
Diaz was asked why he wanted the rule to be in state statutes.
“There are some districts that already post their testing schedule, however it is not uniform across the state,” Diaz said. “I want to bring up that there are districts that have up to 151 additional tests.”
Gov. Rick Scott addresses the Florida Legislature in his third State of the State speech.
Gov. Rick Scott delivered his State of the State speech this morning before the Florida Legislature.
After thanking lawmakers and family members, education was first on Scott’s agenda.
He said he has two priorities for growing the economy: remove the sales tax on manufacturing equipment, and invest in teachers by providing them “a well-deserved pay raise.”
“The single most important factor in student learning is the quality of teaching,” Scott said, repeating a line he used during his speech in 2011.
“We don’t want a war on teachers; we want a war on failure,” Scott said.
In the Democratic response, Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale,said Scott started the war on teachers by proposing $1.3 billion in budget cuts after taking office.
Smith challenged Scott to “provide leadership to make sure the Legislature follows through” on the raises. Smith also urged Scott support raises for other state workers, such as prison guards.
House Speaker Will Weatherford is holding out for an online university in Florida.
House Speaker Will Weatherford banged the opening gavel in the Florida House this morning, introducing the 60-day session with a speech heavily focused on education.
He promised the continued “pursuit of a world-class, student-centered K-12 education system in Florida.”
But he said attention must be paid to higher education as well, because “education solves problems that government cannot.”
Weatherford encouraged lawmakers to break free from a “narrow vision that has encouraged a culture of mediocrity.”
Here are more of Weatherford’s remarks on higher education, including emphasizing a high-quality online university and granting the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants access to in-state tuition rates:
The old Florida Capitol building in Tallahassee, with the new Capitol behind it. The 2013 Legislative session begins today.
The 2013 Legislative session officially opens today in Tallahassee. Lawmakers will meet for 60 days and with no election or redistricting, fewer high-profile issues and a small budget surplus, education could be a headline issue this year.
Here’s five things to watch as lawmakers return.
Budget: Teacher raises?
State analysts project Florida will have a small budget surplus this year. Gov. Rick Scott would like to give teachers an across-the-board $2,500 raise. Lawmakers like the idea of paying teachers more, but don’t like the idea of a standard raise after passing a law in 2011 requiring school district pay teachers based on student performance.
But lawmakers must also look down the road to new education requirements taking effect in the fall of 2014 and fall of 2015. In 2014 all Florida schools are scheduled to move to new education standards and an accompanying online test.
The following year lawmakers have required schools to deliver half of their lessons digitally, using iPads, Kindles or other devices. Supporters say digital curriculum and textbooks are more interactive and can be updated more easily. Students use high-tech devices everyday, and schools say students are comfortable using them for school as well.
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