Bleary-eyed House sends sweeping education reforms to governor
After pontificating for nearly 12 hours, the Florida House at 2:30 this morning finalized approval of a sweeping package of public school changes that could eventually reach every student and teacher...
View Article‘Sucker-punch to the gut’ of teachers or visionary reform? Crist has seven...
Gov. Charlie Crist has a week to decide if the controversial teacher merit pay bill is a “sucker-punch to the gut of the teaching profession” or a visionary reform now that SB 6 has reached his desk....
View ArticleSenate moves to end separation of church and state
The separation of church and state has been in Florida’s constitution for more than a century. But that might this fall under a proposal approved by a Senate committee this morning that could go before...
View ArticleNAACP to hold mansion vigil Thursday for teacher pay veto
The local chapter of the NAACP is holding a prayer vigil at the governor’s mansion Thursday night to encourage Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a controversial teacher pay bill. Crist has until midnight...
View ArticleSenate rules chairman urges Crist to veto ‘unconstitutional mess’ teacher pay...
Sen. Alex Villalobos, the Republican Rules Committee chairman, joined a slew of Democratic lawmakers urging Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the contentious teacher pay bill. But Villalobos used a different...
View ArticleTeacher union files lawsuit to keep class size amendment off ballot
The Florida teachers’ union filed a lawsuit today to keep a constitutional amendment watering down class size restrictions off the ballot in November. The GOP-dominated legislature put Amendment 8 on...
View ArticleFlorida finalist in Race to the Top education grant
Florida made the final cut in the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top grant, now competing with 18 other states for $3.4 billion in federal funds for education reforms. Florida failed to get...
View ArticleClass size amendment stays on ballot
A proposed constitutional amendment that would water down class size limits will remain on the ballot, the Florida Supreme Court ruled today. Lawmakers placed the measure, Amendment 8, on the ballot to...
View ArticleFirst committee week offers fundraising grab bag
Fresh from the elections last month, a brand-new crop of lawmakers and their more experienced colleagues swarmed the Capitol this week for their first round of committee meetings, some popcorn and, for...
View ArticleScott says pension contribution phase-in a no-go
Gov. Rick Scott rejected some GOP lawmakers proposal to phase-in a revamp of the state’s pension system. Scott’s proposed having state workers kick in 5 percent of their salaries to their pension...
View ArticleSenate math class in session
The Florida Senate began debate Thursday on a controversial plan to end teacher tenure and introduce merit pay based heavily on student performance. Former Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a similar measure...
View ArticleSenate OK’s merit pay for teachers
The Florida Senate approved legislation Thursday that would end tenure and tie teacher pay to student performance — the latest round in a long clash between Republican lawmakers and the state teachers...
View ArticleLook out, public broadcasting
Florida lawmakers have $1.6 billion less to spend on education this year than last, according to a preliminary glimpse of the Senate’s education spending plan. The shortfall comes from the...
View ArticlePreliminary Senate education budget: 2.3 percent cut
The Senate’s preliminary allocation for education spending is a 2.3 percent drop from last year’s, far less than Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed 10 percent and the House’s initial 7.7 percent cuts. Senate...
View ArticleSenate hikes schools cuts
From The Orlando Sentinel’s Aaron Deslatte: TALLAHASSEE — Last week, Senate PreK-12 Education Budget Chairman David Simmons said the chamber’s classroom spending plan was essentially break-even for...
View ArticleSenate school cuts not so deep after all
Cuts to public school funding won’t be nearly as bad as it appeared earlier this week under the Florida Senate plan, budget chief J.D. Alexander said Wednesday morning. That’s because the spending...
View ArticleState Board of Education chairman quits over Scott’s handling of...
T. Willard Fair, chairman of the state Board of Education, has resigned over Gov. Rick Scott’s handling of the resignation of education commissioner Eric Smith, who announced he was stepping down on...
View ArticleScott calls state ed board members after chairman quits
After nearly three months on the job, Gov. Rick Scott reached out for the first time yesterday to the members of the state board of education after chairman T. Willard Fair quit over what he called...
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Progressives protest Rick Scott in St. Pete
Chanting “Pink Slip Rick,” dozens of left-leaning activists staged a protest as Gov. Rick Scott addressed a gathering of the media in St. Petersburg. Florida Watch Action, Progress Florida and Awake...
View ArticleImmigration tops Rick Scott’s legislative priority list
Immigration is at the top of Gov. Rick Scott’s legislative priorities when lawmakers reconvene in January, the first-term governor told Northwest Florida conservative radio talk show host Burnie...
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