Author Archive: Sue Legg

Which Way Forward: A Broader Bolder Approach

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faces-426078_1280There is a better way than the test and punish approach to achieving equity in our educational system.  School grades, student retention, student achievement gain scores for teacher evaluations have narrowed the curriculum and resulted in test driven instruction.  They do not improve student achievement.

What are the alternatives?  Many analysts report that solutions must be community based.  Educational, economic, and social factors are intertwined.  Improving schools takes the support of the entire community. How this can be accomplished is beginning to emerge.

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New Omnibus Bills Pass Senate Appropriations

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japan-82123_1280The two new bills heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee today were not really new.  Senator Gaetz collapsed a number of existing bills into two omnibus bills.  The recess bill did not get included.  The limit on capital outlay for public school facilities was included.

The second bill relates to early childhood education, open enrollment, dual enrollment, private school sports participation, and charter school accountability.

These bills move on next week.  A lot of negotiation will happen between the House and the Senate.  The specifics follow:

 

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Fla. High Impact Charter Network Bill Advances

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Legislation

Legislation

The devil is often in the details, and this bill HB 830 Stargel has many provisions.   In a nutshell, it requires better background checks and more transparency for charter providers.  This is good, right?  It also gives the State Board of Education the ability to authorize High Impact Charter Networks.  Maybe this is not so good.

Charter providers in approved networks apply to districts, but if they are already authorized, is this simply smoke and mirrors?  In a way, this is a mini version of the bill to amend the constitution to create a separate charter system.  It takes away local control.  The constitutional amendment will not make it to the ballot, but the High Impact Charter Networks are likely to become law.  If I were a betting person, I would think this is another effort to attract and expand KIPP schools.

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Should Florida Fail 3/4s of Third Graders?

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IMG_0471Have you seen the latest headlines:  Florida is the only state meeting NAEP standards?  You might think we have the highest standards in the country.

What it really means is that Florida is the only state which reports five levels on its state assessment that correspond to the five levels of NAEP.  This is a good thing.

It is not enough.

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What Matters in Early Childhood Education

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teacher-590109_1280It is no secret that early childhood is important, under staffed, and under enrolled.  Where do you start in recommending improvements in standards and staffing?  How is quality measured?  Which are the most critical priorities to improve care?  The Florida Association for the Education of Young Children did a survey.  We also compiled some legislative initiatives.

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Money or Ideology?: Why Does the State Board of Education Overrule Districts?

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money-40603_1280Sometimes the sun shines, and sometimes it rains.  I guess it is climate change??  It rained on St Lucie and Indian River’s school boards.  They had voted to reject three Somerset charter schools.  There were the usual complaints that the charters offered little new and also disrupted district desegregation efforts.  These new charters were proposed under the High Achieving Charter law that allows charters to locate in other counties if they have a charter school with at least two A’s and a B somewhere else.

School grades being school grades, high performing means little.  We all have schools that change from an ‘A’ to a ‘C’ depending upon how zone lines change.   Charters can maintain grades by strategic choice of location, students, and dismissal policies.

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