The legal and public relations battle over Florida’s private school scholarship programs continues, with the statewide teacher’s union revising its lawsuit and a school choice group producing a new television ad supporting the programs. Wednesday, the Florida Education Association amended its complaint challenging a new school choice law. The new complaint adds South Florida parents […]
When Florida first approved its private school tax credit scholarship program in 2001, Florida Education Association attorney Ron Meyer said education groups questioned the legality, but no one really objected to helping low-income students get out of low-performing schools. But then the scholarship program started to grow. Lawmakers approved a law that automatically expanded the […]
Implementing New Common Core Standards Florida is one of 45 states that have fully adopted new math, English and literacy standards known as Common Core. Political opposition to the standards built throughout the year in both Florida and across the country. Every Florida grade is scheduled to switch to the new standards this fall. The […]
Florida teachers will no longer be evaluated – and have their pay based on – the performance of students they don’t teach. Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill passed by the Florida Legislature that should allay some of their concerns. The law, SB 1664, says teachers must be judged only on the performance of […]
The Florida Education Association’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s test-based teacher evaluations — if successful — could become a model for teacher’s union across the country, Governing magazine reports. And over at the Quick and the Ed, labor attorney Danny Rosenthal argues the FEA normally would have a difficult time proving the government […]
Lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott reached a compromise on $480 million in raises for teachers and other school workers. The raises are part of a $74 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Districts will have flexibility in how the money is awarded based on local collective bargaining agreements. The Governor’s Office […]
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett says state leaders and lawmakers are listening to teacher concerns about evaluations. The Florida Education Association is suing Bennett, the Department of Education, and a few school districts over teacher evaluations. The union believes a 2011 law requiring teacher evaluations violates the equal protection and due process rights of school […]
Most states are moving toward Common Core State Standards – a new way of teaching that dives deeper into fewer topics. That means new assessments are on the way. Florida is phasing out most of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The new PARCC assessments are scheduled to be in place for the 2014-15 school year. […]
Florida is working toward full implementation of Common Core State Standards by the 2014-15 school year. The standards set benchmarks for each grade level. And instead of learning a little bit about a lot of things, students will be expected to absorb a lot of information about fewer subjects. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett says Florida’s […]
The Florida Education Association and National Education Association filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the constitutionality of Florida’s teacher evaluation system. The system was created under a law passed in 2011 known as Senate Bill 736. State law requires school districts base at least 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment […]
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