Indiana voters threw out the a Superintendent of Public Instruction with close ties to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. In Idaho voters overturned three laws based on policies Bush has supported in Florida. But Bush doesn’t take those results personally — it’s about Indiana and Idaho and not Bush’s policies. Bush says overall the results […]
About half a million people from around the world have been tuning in online to the math lessons of a Florida teacher, according to the Sun Sentinel. Rob Tarrou, a teacher at St. Petersburg High School, records lessons on algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics and other math subjects under his YouTube channel “Tarrou’s Chalk Talk.” Some videos have more […]
Our sister sites StateImpact Indiana and StateImpact Idaho have done a great job covering big education-related election stories this year. In Indiana, Democrat Glenda Ritz upset Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett. While in Idaho, voters appear to have repealed three laws — known as “Students Come First” — which sparked opposition from state and […]
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate K12, a publicly traded online education provider that operates in 42 Florida school districts, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval counties. Citing a Sept. 11 story by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida that reported how […]
We told you how the Florida Department of Education is looking into online education company K12. The question is whether K12 used uncertified teachers for some of its online classes in Seminole County, and if the company asked certified teachers to sign class rosters of students which they did not teach. K12 says they only […]
If you want to learn about the latest in computing and other advanced technology, it’s tough to find a better source than a company that helped revolutionize the industry. That’s one reason why Florida is becoming the first state to offer the Microsoft IT Academy to middle school students. The academy provides students with technology […]
The Florida Virtual School remains the largest provider of online courses in the country, according to a new report from Evergreen Education Group. Students enrolled in nearly 260,000 courses through the school in the 2010-2011 school year. Florida trails other states in the number of students enrolled full-time in online programs, but a recently approved […]
Education Week has a nice explainer on how the Florida Virtual School works, including shortcomings in the way the school is funded. The piece also looks at school performance, referencing a Tampa Bay Times story that looked at whether any evidence exists that the school is out-performing district schools. Also worth noting is this follow-up, […]
When does heading back to class not involve a school? When students tick off Florida’s new graduation requirement for an online course. Miami Herald reporter Laura Isensee examined the advantages and criticisms of online schooling Sunday. More than 150,000 Florida students will take virtual courses this year. Students told Isensee they liked the ability to […]
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