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Which Way Forward: A Broader Bolder Approach
There 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.
New Omnibus Bills Pass Senate Appropriations
The 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:
Fla. High Impact Charter Network Bill Advances
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.
Should Florida Fail 3/4s of Third Graders?
Have 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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- League Members visit the office of Senator Marco Rubio
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- League Members wait to see Senator Bill Nelson
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- Education Team at the Department of Education
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