Schools Likely Losers in Budget Fight
News out of Tallahassee Tuesday night says the House and Senate have reached an agreement on education spending levels. Reportedly, they have agreed to a modest 3% increase that puts school…
Legislature returns to Tallahassee for special session
The Florida Legislature opened the special session Monday in Tallahassee. Because they ended regular session without passing a budget, legislative leaders had to convene a special session in order to avoid…
Hillsborough rolls out options for students on exams
In a press conference Tuesday, Hillsborough Superintendent Jeff Eakins outlined his plan to give options to students that took the Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry state end of course…
Governor warns of possible “government shutdown”
Governor Scott issued a statement that asks agencies to identify their critical needs in case the Florida Senate and House cannot come to agreement on a state budget by July…
Legislature to hold Special Session
In a joint statement yesterday, House and Senate leaders announced a special session to begin June 1st and conclude June 20th. They are divided on the issue of Medicaid funding from…
#ThankATeacher
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! We celebrate teachers every day but especially during this special week. We’ve been posting our favorite quotes about teaching on Facebook this week. We also have…
House, Senate and Governor face off over budget stalemate
The 2015 Legislative Session abruptly ended without passing a constitutionally required budget. Now, all sides are facing off as they decide how to proceed. The Senate Democrats filed an emergency…
Legislature passes one education bill this year
The House abruptly adjourned yesterday afternoon effectively ending the opportunity to pass additional legislation. HB 7069, a sweeping testing reform bill, was the only education bill that made it all…
Senate finds compromise on student testing
A Senate panel tweaked its testing bill Wednesday so that the results of this year’s Florida Standards Assessments would not be used to determine whether third-grade students can be promoted,…
Senator wants to halt high stakes until Florida gets testing right
Senator Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, has filed an amendment that would effectively pause 3rd grade retention, remediation, graduation decisions and school grading until the Florida can ensure the tests are valid.…