In a survey, more than half of Florida’s 2011 Sunshine State Scholars said they plan to pursue higher education degrees in-state, rejecting the opportunity to attend Ivy League schools.
Gov. Rick Scott has said Florida needs more graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
He said a highly trained workforce will lure high-tech companies to the state, resulting in high-wage jobs.
The Scholars program, sponsored by the Florida Education Foundation, recognizes the top 11th grader from each school district based on certain academic criteria.
The winners are considered the state’s top STEM students.
We’ve heard a lot from educators who support Democratic President Barack Obama for reelection. The National Education Association has endorsed Obama.
But there are plenty of teachers who support his Republican challenger, Gov. Mitt Romney.
According to EdVotes.org, about 40 percent of Florida Education Association (FEA) members and at least 25 percent of NEA members are Republicans.
Nancy Puri is a member of the FEA. She is a visual arts teacher with Polk County Public Schools and holds a Master’s degree in leadership administration. She is also a Romney supporter.
Q: What do you like about Gov. Romney’s proposed education policy?
The panel on Wednesday called for different tuition rates based on the type of degree being sought such as business, education or engineering.
It also proposed letting “preeminent universities” set higher tuition rates.
In addition, the task force suggests the Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System, should have bigger roles in budgeting and hiring university presidents. Continue Reading →
Students at the University of Miami (UM) are protesting the firing of a popular cafeteria worker.
Betty Asbury was fired two weeks ago by the food service company Chartwells. According to Asbury, she was fired after a man walked by her cashier post without paying for breakfast.
Asbury says her district manager reviewed security video and saw that the man didn’t eat though — he was simply looking for the restroom.
Chartwells would not confirm the specifics of the firing citing confidentiality laws.
It said the company can fire its workers for any reason since they are “at-will employees.”
But students miss the employee they call Miss Betty.
Hialeah High teacher Julia Holden has 66 students in one class.
Schools can pack as many students as they want into classes like Calculus, Writing, Spanish and Physical Education. There are no class size limits. But there is the issue of space.
In order to accommodate 66 students at once, the girls locker room at Hialeah High is being used as a classroom.
There aren’t enough desks or chairs for the students, so they stack up blue and green exercise steps to use as chairs. Other students either stand or sit on the ground. Listen to the story to hear from a principal who says schools don’t always have the resources to follow the law.
State officials say the race-based goals are required for Florida’s waiver from portions of the federal No Child Left Behind education law. The intent is to close the achievement gap between black and Hispanic students and, on average, higher performing white and Hispanic students.
“Florida PTA and the Board of Education share a common goal – to increase the proficiency of all students and to provide them with a quality education in preparation for college and career,” the group said in a statement. “How we move towards this goal is where we differ.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina were the 2011 winners of the Broad Prize for Urban Education.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, members of Congress and Philanthropist Eli Broad will announce the winner of The Broad Prize for Urban Education tomorrow morning.
Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County schools are among this year’s top four finalists for the prize which goes to the most improved large urban school district in the country.
The award recognizes student achievement in districts that have also reduced the achievement gaps among low-income and minority students.
Lynn University's Wold Performing Arts Center will host the final presidential debate of 2012.
The presidential candidates are heading to Boca Raton, FL. President Barack Obama (D) and Gov. Mitt Romney (R) will face off at Lynn University tonight for their third and final debate.
The number of reporters covering the event tonight will likely far exceed the number of students enrolled at Lynn.
This small, private institution in southeast Florida has a total student population of approximately 2,100. Students hail from 44 states and 78 countries. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1.
Even with small classes, Lynn is among five private colleges in Florida that were recently cited for low graduation rates.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan posted this picture on Facebook today in honor of Spirit Day, when Americans wear purple to support speaking out against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
Duncan wrote:
I’m wearing my purple tie to support our LGBT youth on Spirit Day. Bullying is not a rite of passage & we’ve got to take a stand.
Should students have different academic expectations based on race?
Gov. Rick Scott wants the State Board of Education to make changes in its plan to set passing scores based on a student’s race.
But he isn’t saying what the Board should do to alter the plan.
The governor says every child should be performing on grade level in subjects like math and reading.
“I learn differently than other people learn,” he said. “But I do know that all children can learn, and we should have high standards for everybody.”
The Board of Education’s five year plan sets higher passing scores for Asian and white students, but also sets higher benchmarks for improvement among black and Hispanic students.
Scott wrote a letter to the Board, saying their strategy doesn’t do enough to close the achievement gap. Continue Reading →
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