Florida had the fifth-largest increase in per-student school funding this year, according to a new ranking from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Florida added $1 billion in additional K-12 funding in the current budget, moving the state to the middle of the pack for percentage of education funding cut since 2008. Last year […]
Hillsborough County schools are retaining more than nine of every ten new teachers they hire with the help of a mentoring program funded by a $100 million dollar grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Teacher retention has been a persistent problem nationally, with some studies finding as many as half of all new […]
Last year, Luis Gonzalez failed freshman English, Algebra and Physical Science. When he starts school later this month, he’ll still be considered a freshman. His school has a different name for it. “They call it a ‘fresh-more,’” he said. “By years I’m a sophomore. But I’m going to have freshman classes.” Gonzalez thought he could […]
Americans overwhelmingly support educating students with disabilities, but are skeptical of the number of students classified as needing special education. That’s according to a Fordham Institute report on school spending. The Fordham Institute found 40 percent of new education spending between 1996 and 2005 went to special education. Four out of five Americans believe U.S. […]
Gracie Fowler earns $11 an hour at an Orlando title company. It’s just enough that sometimes she earns too much for her two kids to qualify for Medicaid. That’s what happened for two months earlier this year. “Luckily they didn’t get sick but that was like the only couple of months where they didn’t have […]
The Florida real estate market is showing signs it has finally hit bottom, which is good news for schools suffering budget cuts due to a declining property tax base. Martin County officials reported the county’s property tax base declined 1 percent last year. That’s less than county officials expected and the smallest decline in five […]
Florida is one of three states scoring below average on four measures of school funding fairness, according to a national report card. The report was produced by the New Jersey-based Education Law Center and Rutgers University researchers. The authors argue state funding formulas should send more money to districts with higher poverty rates. The study […]
Florida’s Board of Governors plan for the future is a trilogy. Most states have long-term goals and an accountability plan to make sure everyone follows through. But Dr. Jan Ignash, Vice Chancellor of the State University System, says it’s the middle volume that could be the most interesting as the board meets at the University […]
Florida will have fewer kids enrolled in traditional public schools in the coming years. That’s the consensus of the Education Enrollment Conference. The panel of state economists and legislative staffers is compiling projections for public schools over the next decade. The reason for the enrollment forecast is money. The panel recommends school district renovation and […]
There is no bigger target for school criticism than what districts spend on administrative staff and other overhead. Joe Taxpayer wants to cry “waste!” when he sees a bunch of bureaucrats bringing down six figures at his expense. The Florida Department of Education knows this, and so they have been adding up how much it […]
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