education

What Did You Learn In School This Year? Tell Us Your Story

Sammy Mack — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:18:05 +0000

It was a big year for education policy in Florida.

Florida's Education Budget By The Numbers

Gina Jordan — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:11 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott has signed a budget that’s very different than the one he’s been paying for since he authorized massive education cuts two years ago.

Back then, pundits speculated Scott may have sealed his fate as a one term governor when he proposed a few billion dollars worth of cuts to education.

Documents Show K12 Struggling With Teacher Quality

Trevor Aaronson and John O'Connor — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:54:37 +0000

The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida have obtained internal emails and a recording of a company meeting that provide new insight into allegations that K12 Inc., the nation’s largest online education company, uses teachers in Florida who do not have all of the required state certifications.

Last month, a draft report by the state Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General found that the publicly traded company employed at least three teach

Jeb Bush Is Sticking To His Guns On Parent Trigger Bill

Gina Jordan — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:48:01 +0000

The Foundation for Florida’s Future isn’t giving up on the parent trigger bill.

Teachers May Receive Raises Sooner Than June 2014

Gina Jordan — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:40:28 +0000

Teachers might not have to wait another year for a raise after all.

Leaders in the Florida Legislature are working on a fix to the education budget that provides $480 million in raises for teachers and other school personnel.

But according to the budget, that money won’t be in paychecks until June 2014.

Lawmakers say a technical fix should get teachers their raises before next year.

“We need to give the school districts a little more flexibility to spend that money so

Lawmakers, Gov. Scott Compromise On Teacher Raises

Gina Jordan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:43:12 +0000

Lawmakers and Gov.

Desegregation Pioneer Recalls School Integration In Miami

Gala Brown Munnings — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:27:00 +0000

I was born in Nashville and spent the first four years of my life in Tuskegee, Ala.

My father, Dr. John O. Brown Sr., moved to Miami in 1955 to begin his practice in ophthalmology. To this day, I'm glad he did.

We had neighbors who were white and black. Our next-door neighbor was an older white lady who inspired my mother's love for growing orchids and my brother's passion for collecting butterflies.

New Yorkers Sound Off On New Common Core Tests

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:52:43 +0000

A professor at Teacher’s College, Columbia University has set up a website to allow New York students, parents and educators to post comments about the new state English language arts test.

The tests are now tied to Common Core education standards adopted by 45 states — including Florida.

The Week's Top Florida News: Dolphins And Diplomas

Elaine Chen — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Join us Friday at noon on 91.3 FM WLRN for an hour's discussion on the week's headlines, including:

Legislation on health care, ethics, elections and education dominate the final days of the current session in Tallahassee.

Florida Investigates Teacher Certification At Online Giant K12

John O'Connor and Trevor Aaronson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:33:46 +0000

An inquiry by the Florida Department of Education’s Inspector General found that online educator K12 Inc. employed three teachers in Florida who lacked proper certification to teach some subjects, according to a draft report.

Virginia-based K12 is the nation’s largest operator of online schools.

How Florida High School Graduation Requirements Will Change

John O'Connor — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:29:23 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott is scheduled to sign an education bill which changes high school graduation requirements, expands career education options and creates new elementary and middle school computer training programs.

The most significant change is to high school graduation requirements.

Q&A: Teacher's Union Chief Questions Pace Of Transition To New Standards

Gina Jordan — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:02:47 +0000

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.

New Lawsuit Claims Florida Teacher Evaluations Are Unconstitutional

Gina Jordan — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:21:48 +0000

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 Will Florida need a ‘Plan B’ test for new standards set to hit state schools in 2014?

Lawmaker Warns Parent Trigger Bill Confuses Empowerment With Involvement

Gina Jordan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:50:27 +0000

Helping Our Students

James March — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:06:09 +0000

http://youtu.be/gP2Ex_1UWQs

What happens to our students if no one pays attention to them?

Following the day-to-day stories of students, parents, teachers and staff at the Washington Metropolitan High School , 180 Days: Inside An American High School, is an intimate portrait of a public school that attempts to make a difference in the lives of students each and every day.

"180 Days" tonight at 9pm on WLRN Channel 17!

Website Tracks School Progress On Implementing New Education Standards

Gina Jordan — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:28:44 +0000

The State Board of Education will get an update next week on Florida’s next education standards, the Common Core State Standards.

The meeting will include information about the technology needed to implement the new assessments that are scheduled to begin in early 2015.

Florida is among a group of states developing the PARCC assessments, or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and

Plans For Implementing Common Core Standards In Florida Coming Next Week

Gina Jordan — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:10:05 +0000

Education Commissioner Tony Bennett says he will have more information next week about plans for implementing new education standards known as Common Core.

The State Board of Education is meeting next week.

“We have rolled out a very aggressive implementation plan,” Bennett said.

Patricia Levesque Is A Powerful Force Behind School Choice In Florida

Gina Jordan — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Patricia Levesque runs two foundations created by former Florida Gov.

Parents Seek To Unite Florida's Education Activists

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:54:58 +0000

A loose-knit network of education activists generally opposed to the direction Florida has been taking its schools recently is attempting to organize into a more potent political force.

The groups include parents, people who want more state funding for schools, and others who are fed up with the brand of testing-based school accountability that Florida has become famous for.

New Scholarship Standards Seen Disqualifying Majority Of Black, Hispanic Students

John O'Connor — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:35:05 +0000

More than half of Florida’s Hispanic and black students at state universities currently eligible for the state’s Bright Futures college scholarship would no longer qualify when new standards take effect on July 1, according to a University of South Florida analysis obtained by the Florida College Access Network.

By comparison, about 40 percent of white and Asian students at state universities would no longer be eligible for the scholarship.

The minimum SAT and ACT scores required to eligible for the merit-based scholarships is increasing.

New State Budget Would Boost Spending on Education, Teacher Pay

Gina Jordan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:44:29 +0000

The Florida House has released its proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Speaker Will Weatherford says education was prioritized over everything else.

“The big winner is education,” Weatherford said.

Business Group Says Health Care Expansion Threatens Education Funding

John O'Connor — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:16:29 +0000

A business advocacy group is running television ads that say Florida might have to cut education funding if the state expands Medicaid health coverage.

The National Federation of Independent Business has also set up a website — FloridaCanDoBetter.com.

“Washington promises to pay the billions in new costs. But with these endless federal deficits can we really trust them?” The ad states.

Governor Scott: "I Made The Tough Choices, Now We're Making Smart Choices"

Phil Latzman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We spoke with the governor about his hopes for this legislative session, his political turn to the left, his support of Medicaid expansion and teacher raises, the issue of illegal internet cafes, guns, jobs, property insurance and a proposed texting-while-driving ban.

HIS POLITICAL SHIFT

Florida Students Will Spend At Least Eight Hours A Year Taking New Standardized Test

editor — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:11:05 +0000

Third grade students will spend at least eight hours a year taking Florida’s next standardized test, with high school juniors will spend nearly 10 hours to complete the new online standardized test.

A Florida 8th grader — taking the FCAT reading, math, science and writing tests — will spend 8 and 20 minutes on testing this year.

Florida Not Among States Expected To Teach Students About Climate Change

Tricia Woolfenden — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:02:54 +0000

More than two dozen states are expected to adopt new national science education standards that include teaching children as young as elementary school about the effects of climate change. Florida was not among the 26 states that helped to "provide leadership" during the development stage of the Next Generation Science Standards, and it is unclear if it is among the roughly 15 states "that have indicated they may accept them," according to Inside Climate News.

Three Questions About Sequestration And Federal Budget Cuts For Head Start In Florida

John O'Connor — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:10:16 +0000

March 1 is the deadline for Congress to strike a budget deal or a series of automatic spending cuts totaling $1.2 trillion over a decade takes effect.

The cuts — k

Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs

Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman and Paul Leary — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

02/26/13 - Tuesday's Topical Currents is with human resource expert and Wharton Business School professor Peter Cappelli. Conventional wisdom says that our educational system fails the economy . . .

Florida Senate President Says Teachers Shouldn't Expect An Even Playing Field

Gina Jordan — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:51:46 +0000

Supporters say the charter school bill that has a good chance of passing Florida’s Republican controlled Legislature this year will better regulate charters and expand choices for parents.

One thing the bill won’t do is require the same evaluations for charter school teachers as traditional public school teachers.

Charters schools which do not participate in the federal Race to the Top program do

Live Chat On Florida Education: What Will Happen In Session 2013?

Sarah Gonzalez — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:00:00 +0000

February 19 At 4pm

StateImpact Florida and WLRN are holding an online education chat in advance of our WLRN-Miami Herald News Town Hall, where you'll get the chance to ask lawmakers about their education priorities this legislative session.