Parents, Democrats bash ‘parent trigger’ proposal
A coalition of parent-led groups, including the Florida PTA, and Democrats bashed a fast-tracked “parent trigger” proposal that would let parents at failing schools determine their fate. The bill “has...
View ArticleSession likely to end on a sour note – again
A testy Senate Special Order Committee meeting over a controversial “parent trigger” measure late Tuesday night set the stage for what will likely be an ugly end to the legislative session for the...
View ArticleJeb Bush foundation using ‘parent trigger’ to trigger donations
The controversial “Parent Empowerment” proposal isn’t just causing a bipartisan kerfuffle in the Senate where critics say the measure is a cash cow for for-profit charter schools and private management...
View ArticleDemocrats blast education cuts using election-year themes
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith joined House Democrats in blasting ruling Republicans Wednesday for falling short in dollars for public schools and forcing university students to shoulder...
View ArticleHouse agrees to add more cash to corp tax vouchers for schools
Following a partisan skirmish, the Republican-ruled House agreed Wednesday to expand the state’s corporate tax credit scholarship program, with Democrats decrying the move for pulling dollars from the...
View ArticleSenate kills controversial ‘parent trigger’ measure on tie vote
A split Senate shot down a controversial “parent trigger” bill on a 20-20 tie vote on the final day of the legislative session in a defeat for Senate GOP leaders, including Senate President Mike...
View ArticleScott barnstorms schools touting $1 billion boost that will go fast
As a prelude to signing the state budget, possibly later this week, Gov. Rick Scott spent Monday barnstorming the state — visiting three schools to tout a proposed $1 billion boost in classroom...
View ArticleScott touts — and hypes — school spending before budget signing
Gov. Rick Scott began touting the state budget’s $1 billion boost for Florida classrooms early Tuesday — as he made his way toward his scheduled noon budget-signing at a St. Johns County elementary...
View ArticleScott creates ‘Blue Ribbon’ panel to revamp higher ed
After vetoing a tuition increase for FSU and UF, signing off on a controversial new state university and axing $300 million from the universities’ budgets, Gov. Rick Scott launched a possible remake of...
View ArticleObama ed chief criticizes Florida’s GOP-led Legislature on tutoring standard
U.S. Education SecretaryArne Duncan ridiculed Florida’s Republican-ruled Legislature on Thursday for sidestepping a sought-after waiver from the federal government to help private vendors retain...
View ArticleCharlie Reed leaves Cal post, returning to Fla
Charlie Reed, who was Florida’s higher education chancellor for 13 years until heading to California in 1998, announced Thursday that he was stepping down as top executive of the nation’s largest...
View ArticleAmericans for Prosperity launches ’5 for Florida’ campaign
A conservative group Friday said it is launching an election-year campaign aimed at getting political candidates to endorse dramatic changes to Florida’s public pension plans, its tax system and...
View ArticleParent group urges Scott to find new school leader not wed to testing
With Florida’s top education job open, an advocacy organization is urging Gov. Rick Scott to move in a new direction. Fund Education Now, founded three years ago by Orlando-area moms opposed to...
View ArticleScott to launch listening tour on education
Gov. Rick Scott, who has adopted a rollercoaster approach to public school funding his first two years, announced Saturday that he’s embarking next week on a listening tour across Florida on education....
View ArticleJustices send school financing challenge back to trial court
A lawsuit challenging whether Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature are meeting their constitutional duty to finance a high-quality public school system headed back to the trial court Tuesday...
View ArticleScott and teachers union meet over grouper dinner — with a little history on...
History was the garnish to plates of grouper served Friday night at the Governor’s Mansion, when Republican Gov. Rick Scott had dinner with a half-dozen representatives of the state’s largest teachers’...
View ArticleDemocrats putting education “front and center” in legislative campaigns
Florida’s ruling Republicans are undermining their own pledge to boost the state’s economy by shifting millions of dollars away from public education, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and state Democratic...
View ArticleScott said he wants more cash for teacher training
Gov. Rick Scott continued his new-found focus on education Tuesday, announcing that he would seek $2 million from next year’s Legislature to finance a teacher training program. The effort, which he...
View ArticleScott issues $10,000 challenge to state colleges
Gov. Rick Scott, who has been trying to rein-in the cost of higher education in Florida, fired off a challenge Monday to state college leaders — urging they create bachelor’s degree programs costing no...
View ArticleNew education commish may set back Scott’s warming to teachers union
Gov. Rick Scott’s outreach to Florida teachers and his newfound support for public schools may have been dealt a setback Wednesday with the selection of a new state education commissioner Tony Bennett....
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