Owner: The Gradebook URL:blogs.tampabay.com/schools Join Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:42:20 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We\'ll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news, taking time Site statistics:Click here
Today's news 2007-03-10 12:28:21 MORE CANDIDATE PROBLEMS: One finalist for Hernando County superintendent withdrew after the Times discovered lies on his resume. Now another is on the ropes after reporter Tom Marshall found that she misstated enrollment figures by as much as 50 percent for the districts where she has worked.
VIRTUAL SCHOOLING GROWS: So Florida lawmakers want to take a closer look at the online program, to make sure the money is being spent wisely, the Florida Times-Union reports.
LESSONS IN EATING: As concerns rise over obesity and food allergies, preschools and schools take a closer look at how they teach about food and nutrition, the New York Times reports.
HE NEVER WORE A CROWN: But the middle school textbook depicted Sikh founder Guru Nanak wearing one. So leaders of that religion protested to the California Board of Education, which agreed to remove the offending picture from future editions, the New York Times reports.
CASE COULD AFFECT STUDENTS' FREE SPEECH: An Alaska high school student w Read more:Today
Coming up 2007-03-11 22:41:33 Tuesday: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.; Citrus School Board, 3 p.m., Hillsborough School Board, 5 p.m.; House Schools and Learning Council, 10 a.m.
Wednesday: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee, 9 a.m.
Thursday: Hernando School Board, 8:30 a.m.; Senate Education Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee, 9:45 a.m.; Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee, 9:45 a.m.; Charter School Review Panel, 10 a.m., Tallahassee (note: the Senate appropriations committees are scheduled to continue on Friday)
Friday: Hernando School Board, 9 a.m.
March 19: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee, 2:15 p.m.; Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee, 2:15 p.m. (these committees are to continue all week)
March 20: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; committees under House Schools and Learning Council, 9 a.m.; House Schools and Learning Council, 1 p.m.; State Board of Education, 8:30 a.m., Tallahassee
March 21: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee, 1 p.m.; Senate Higher Education Commi
Today's news 2007-03-11 11:50:48 CAN'T KEEP TEACHERS: Think the national teacher attrition rate of 30 percent leaving after five years is bad? Try to be Bay County, where one of every two teachers quits within five years of taking a job there. The district is trying a variety of things to keep them, the Pensacola News Herald reports.
VOICES CARRY: One Naples private school liked its computers teacher so much that when she decided to move, the school kept her on, letting her teach online from her home in Nashville, the Naples Daily News reports.
NOT EVERYONE BENEFITS: The Manatee County school district gets
more than $1-million for tutoring services under No Child Left Behind.
Close to 4,000 children qualify, but less than 1,000 participate, the Bradenton Herald reports.
FORGET THE BEACH: More and more Florida college students are choosing public service activities for their spring break, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
THE NEW 3 R'S: Rules, rules, rules. School officials have an ever increasing list of what kids c Read more:Today
Today's news 2007-03-13 11:27:04 LEARNING TO LISTEN, TALK: Ricky Thors couldn't hear until he got cochlear implants at 13 months old. His communication skills lagged, no surprise, by more than a year. With the help of a special Pasco County schools program, he and his classmates - all of whom have cochlear implants - are catching up, with the goal of entering kindergarten listening and talking like any other kid.THE CANDIDATES ARE COMING: Hernando County will meet the finalists for superintendent in person starting tomorrow. For now, these mini profiles of the three not covered Monday provide an introduction.
HELP NEEDED: A new nuclear plant could soon go up in Levy County, creating a demand for skilled trades workers that outstrips the current supply. To respond, neighboring Citrus County school leaders are considering whether to create a high school academy for construction and energy jobs. The trend toward more career and technical education isn't limited to Florida. The Dallas Morning News reports a rise in suc Read more:Today
Breaking up is hard to do 2007-03-12 21:05:22 Florida has some really big school districts - seven of the 25 largest in the country are here. But are they too big? Leaders in some communities think so, and they're pushing for the ability to split the largest ones into more manageable chunks. They suggest that the centralized control of a vast countywide system doesn't offer the best service for far-flung local communities. (Leaders in Temple Terrace, seeking to possibly break from Hillsborough County, testified on the merits of smaller districts last year.) The issue didn't gain traction in the Florida Legislature last year, but it's back. Tomorrow, the House K-12 education committee plans to discuss language for a bill that would give some districts the option to divide. Among the considerations would be the enrollment level at which voters could consider divorcing their school districts. Any thoughts? Read more:Breaking
Just 30 minutes? 2007-03-12 16:55:25 As lawmakers talk about requiring all elementary school children to have at least 30 minutes
of daily physical activity, they might want to take a look at what Turkey Creek Middle School in Plant City fits into its days. The school provides 50 minutes of PE every day for its nearly 1,100 students. It has a pilot archery program. It even has gaming equipment to motivate couch potatoes to get moving. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education is recognizing the school as one of 31 in the country to achieve such rigor. To read more, click here.
The number of the week is ... 2007-03-12 14:25:47 ... $250. That's the amount of money a non-profit organization called the National Math and Science Initiative Inc. wants to give students and teachers at selected high schools who pass Advanced Placement tests. It's supposed to be an incentive to study hard and do well in school, the Washington Post reports. But will it work? Or does this initiative simply reinforce the notion that kids won't try unless there's a carrot dangling at the end of a stick? Some might argue that teens should try to do well on these and other exams because they want to get a good education that leads them to a prosperous future. Offering incentives, by that standpoint, simply cheapens the education. Would they try as hard if no one offered a reward? One can only hope so. More and more Floridians are taking AP tests and doing well, anyway. Makes you wonder what the $250 will accomplish.
Today's news 2007-03-12 11:05:44 NOT QUITE CANDID CAMERA: The kids reportedly were out of control on the school bus. The driver could lose his for not doing anything. It's becoming a war of words, though, as the security cameras installed on the bus did not work.
CHOOSE A NEW PATH: Calling Pinellas County's school choice plan a miserable failure, the editorial board offers some recommendations for fixing it. In the balance: neighborhoods and racial diversity.
SOME CANDIDATES REMAIN: Not everyone in the hunt to become Hernando County's superintendent has resume conflicts. The Times profiles two of the hopefuls, who will visit this week for interviews with the board. The editorial board, meanwhile, suggests slowing the process to make sure the candidates are who they say they are.
END STAR WARS: House and Senate bills for revamping teacher performance pay rules don't jibe yet. The Times editorial board backs the Senate version, saying chairman Don Gaetz has found a resolution that bridges the gap between the capi Read more:Today
Today's news 2007-03-14 11:09:03 PRE-K PROGRAM "PARTICULARLY WORRISOME": Access to Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten program is fourth-best in the nation, but its per-student funding is 35th of 38 states that have pre-k systems, the National Institute for Early Education Research reports in its latest preschool survey. That disconnect leads to low quality, researcher Steve Barnett said. But there's no activity in Tallahassee to change the program.
REFS CRY FOUL: Some sports referees are threatening to stop working games in Citrus County unless the school district changes its background check procedure. They complain that the $61 fingerprint fee, along with the cost of renewing their badges, is a burden. District officials say the Jessica Lundsford Act gives them little wiggle room.MATH PROBLEMS: Some parents have found shortcomings with Hillsborough County's elementary-level math curriculum. Several teachers have concerns about it, too. Now the district is seeking outside advice as it looks to update Read more:Today
Dropping out, splitting up 2007-03-13 20:52:20 Teens who want to drop out of high school before they turn 18 soon could have some new hoops to jump through. The House Committee on 21st Century Competitiveness is recommending that potential dropouts take a mandatory job training certification course before being allowed to leave high school, hoping that they will at least be ready for work if they choose not to attend college. The House K-12 Committee, meanwhile, is proposing that any district of 50,000 students or more - and that's a lot of them - be allowed to divide into two or more, so long as none of the new districts are smaller than 25,000 students. Each idea next heads to the Schools and Learning Council, which could put them in a bill for the full House or nix them out of hand.
The latest on homework 2007-03-13 16:58:43 Several academics have criticized homework as make-work lately, suggesting that kids might be better off without it. Some San Francisco schools have banned it. The Center for Public Education, an affiliate of the National School Boards Association, takes issue with that position, saying among other things that homework may have some nonacademic benefits, and that some homework is good. Take a look at the research the group relies on here, and then chime in with your own thoughts. Homework: good for the soul, or bad for the brain?
Seeking a pre-k fix 2007-03-15 15:03:32 Rep. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, isn't surprised at all by the latest reports ranking Florida near the bottom of state prekindergarten programs when it comes to funding and quality. Once again, she's one of the few Florida lawmakers pressing to make it better. She's focusing on two efforts. One would create a star rating system, so parents could go to anyplace in the state and see how good or bad a pre-k provider is (HB 1107). The other would change the way Florida oversees pre-k (HB 1103). "The biggest problem that we face in trying to get funding and improve the quality of VPK is that it is in three different agencies," Ausley told the Gradebook. "As a result it is in three different budgets in the Legislature. The buck doesn't stop anywhere. As a result, children in Florida are suffering." She wants to create an Office of Early Education in the governor's office as part of the reform. Ausley isn't sure where the bills are headed, and she plans to talk more with Schools and Read more:Seeking
Today's news 2007-03-15 11:13:22 STAR NO MORE: School districts could develop their own teacher bonus plans. Every teacher and administrator could qualify. House and Senate education leaders jointly have released new pay for performance legislation that offers flexibility that angry teachers and school boards demanded. Read the full story here. To see the House version, click here. For the Senate version, click here. To read the Sun-Sentinel's account, click here.
NCLB TUTORING ISSUES: Thousands of children have taken advantage of extra tutoring offered when their schools have failed to meet federal progress standards. Yet, as The Gradebook reported yesterday, most states don't have the funding to figure out if the tutoring is working. Here's a fuller version of the story.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Five came in. Just one will emerge victorious. The candidates for Hernando superintendent are in town for site visits and interviews, with the board set to pick a successor to Wendy Tellone as early as tonight.
CHARTER TO Read more:Today
Charter calls it quits 2007-03-14 23:37:11 NEW PORT RICHEY - The Richard Milburn Academy, which has operated a charter high school in Pasco County since 2002, will close its doors when the school year ends, the Massachusetts-based company announced Wednesday. The school's directors decided not to seek renewal of its charter because of what it called a "punitive and adversarial" attitude from the school district. To read the board's letter to the school district, click here. Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said the charter school had made a business decision, and the school district will focus on ensuring that its 149 students are well served. The Pasco School Board had placed the Richard Milburn Academy on probation because of financial and curriculum concerns. Last year, the Hillsborough County school district forced the Richard Milburn Academy to close a charter school there, stating the school was failing academically. Read more:Charter
, calls
Blind eye on tutoring? 2007-03-14 17:24:35 The vast majority of states don't know whether the private tutors they've been mandated to pay through No Child Left Behind are effectively helping students learn, concludes a national report released Wednesday. State education officials in 38 states told the Center on Education Policy that to a great extent they've been unable to gauge the quality of private tutors, which schools districts are required to offer to students in high-poverty schools that fail to meet No Child standards three years in a row.
The reasons given most often: Not enough staff. Not enough money. "Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on an unaccountable project," Jack Jenning, the center's president and CEO, told The Gradebook Wednesday morning. "The irony is that politicians would not allow public schools to spend hundreds of millions of dollars without accountability."
Last year, 585,000 students nationwide – and tens of thousands in Florida – took advantage of the No C Read more:Blind
, Blind eye
Strike that 2007-03-14 16:50:02 School districts that rejected the STAR performance pay plan, including Pinellas and Pasco counties, are on the road to vindication. Florida lawmakers have poised themselves to rescind the offending program and replace it with something more palatable to teachers. The House Schools and Learning Council approved a bill (PCB 07-01) yesterday that would cancel STAR and reallocate the $147.5-million attached to it among all districts this year for more broadly defined performance pay guidelines. Districts would then get time to craft new plans for next year. Sen. Don Gaetz, chair of the Education Pre-K-12 Committee, is supposed to present the identical bill to the Senate on Thursday. Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino said she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but, having served three terms in the House herself, she wasn't ready to accept anything as done until the final vote is counted.
Thanks, but no 2007-03-16 19:31:22 Hernando County's first choice for its new schools superintendent, Henry LaCava of Broward County, wanted the job but not the pay cut. He makes $155,000 in his current post, while the top advertised salary for Hernando's superintendency was $125,000. So LaCava turned down the offer. The board turned quickly to its second-ranked candidate, Wayne Alexander, director of school operations and human resources for New London, Conn., schools. Alexander reportedly is happy to negotiate within the posted pay range. For more, click here. Read more:Thanks
Apple turnover 2007-03-16 19:09:53 It should come as no surprise to Gradebook readers that teacher turnover is rampant. But fresh numbers never cease to shock. Nearly 15,000 Florida teachers - or 10 percent of the entire state's teaching corps - left their jobs last year, according to a state legislative report issued Friday. Many of them were under the age of 30. And more than 4 in 10 of them said they were dissatisfied with working conditions or wanted to pursue another career.
The main reasons for the exodus: Lame principals. Unruly kids. Absentee parents. And little opportunity for career advancement. The teachers who flew the coop weren't too happy with their pay, either - but neither were those who stayed, said the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability, which surveyed both groups.
The OPPAGA report also found many teachers did not feel valued, did not think they had enough influence over the school's policies and did not have enough autonomy in the classroom. Not exactly a news fl Read more:Apple
Challenge to educate Hispanics 2007-03-16 16:03:20 The National Education Association released a report on the status of Hispanics
in education today. Some of its key findings include:
• The high school and college completion rates among Hispanics, though up from 1970 and 2004, still lag far behind the completion rates of whites.
• Hispanic student scores in the National Assessment of Educational Progress between 1990 and 2005 improved in math and reading, but not enough to close the large achievement gap. Notably, less than half of Hispanic fourth-graders have achieved a basic level of reading performance on the test.
To make up ground, the group offers some recommendations. These include reducing class sizes; creating new classroom strategies to engage Hispanic students, and enhancing teacher preparation and professional development to better understand the culture of Hispanic students and to help students master English. The group also calls for better relationships between parents, the community and Read more:Challenge
Today's news 2007-03-16 11:08:11 STUDENT BEHAVING BADLY: A Palm Harbor University High student mooned his teacher from the school bus, got suspended and transferred to another school. His parents are fighting the discipline, saying the school is being unreasonable.
CLEAN IT UP: Lawmakers threaten to cut funding to Florida A&M University if its leaders don't fix the school's financial and management problems, fast.
EASY CHOICE: Broward school administrator Harry LaCava stood out among the five finalists for Hernando superintendent, winning the job less than an hour after the School Board ended a day of interviews with all five.
SAVING HIM A SEAT: San Antonio Elementary School tries to cope with the accidental death of second grader Robert Britton III.
LOSE THE TONGUE STUD: A six-month simmering debate on whether Pasco County school employees wear appropriate clothing ends with a committee recommending no change to the teacher dress code. But the committee jumps into the fray by suggesting restrictions on body Read more:Today
Dress is fine. Ditch the piercings. 2007-03-15 21:41:44 A committee brought together to consider whether Pasco County's teachers dress appropriately says they do. After six months of research and three meetings, the committee recommended today that the district doesn't need to boost the dress code for employees, as superintendent Heather Fiorentino suggested last summer. It was another thing all together when it comes to piercings
, though. Teachers need to be role models, committee members said, and visible piercings - including tongue studs - don't always set a good example. So the committee is proposing restrictions on piercings (except for earrings) and maybe even tattoos. Its suggestions will go to the School Board on Tuesday.
List stays the same 2007-03-15 17:46:28 BROOKSVILLE – The clock was ticking this morning, past the 8:30 mark scheduled for the start of interviews to succeed the retiring Superintendent Wendy Tellone. But before the first of five candidates took the hot seat, Hernando County School Board member Jim Malcolm had a suggestion: how about adding a sixth?
He said the spot opened up by the last-minute withdrawal of candidate Craig Bangtson – the guy who made false statements on his resume about how long he'd worked as a superintendent – should be filled by local candidate Ken Pritz. "It's good for the district," Malcolm said." It tells people that if you work hard and with integrity within our system, people notice that."
Pritz, the district's executive director of facilities and support operations, was one of five Hernando candidates who didn't make the board's list of finalists. Others included Barbara Kidder, director of labor relations and professional standards; Sonya Jackson, exe Read more:stays
Who we are 2007-03-17 23:19:21 Instead of a weekend interview, today I want to officially introduce the Times education team that fills this blog with information. Please feel free to contact them directly with ideas, in addition to putting your comments on their postings. They are:
Ron Matus, state education reporter, matus@sptimes.com or 727-893-8873.
Tom Tobin, Pinellas County education reporter, tobin@sptimes.com or 727-893-8923.
Donna Winchester, Pinellas County education reporter, winchester@sptimes.com or 727-893-8413.
Letitia Stein, Hillsborough County education reporter, lstein@sptimes.com or 813-226-3400.
Jeff Solochek, Pasco County education reporter, solochek@sptimes.com or 813-909-4614.
Tom Marshall, Hernando County education reporter, tmarshall@sptimes.com or 352-848-1431.
Eddy Ramirez, Citrus County education reporter, eramirez@sptimes.com or 352-860-7305.
Shannon Colavecchio Van Sickler, higher education reporter and Tallahassee session reporter, svansickler@sptimes.com or 813-310-0848.
Rich
Today's news 2007-03-17 11:21:41 THIS ONE, OR START OVER: Hernando County's School Board, rejected by its first choice to become superintendent, turns to finalist No. 2. If Wayne Alexander doesn't pan out in contract negotiations, though, board members are suggesting they'd rather renew their search than pick from the other three hopefuls who came for interviews this week.CHOICE DEADLINE APPROACHES: Pinellas parents have until March 24 to pick a school for their children. Here are three things every parent should know.
AUDIT WOES: Things aren't getting better for Florida A&M
University. Months after an interim president took over to fix the
school's money problems, a preliminary audit of her time in office
turns up a lengthy list of holes and errors in FAMU's finances.
LATEST ON PERFORMANCE PAY: A compromise measure aimed at resolving complaints about the Special Teachers Are Rewarded law wins a key House committee vote as it heads to the floors of the House and Senate next week, the Associated Press report Read more:Today
More than 300 minutes 2007-03-16 21:48:51 The Hillsborough school district is moving to have all its high school teachers in the classroom for 300 minutes
daily, adding close to an hour of instruction to many educators' days. In this week's Teachers Corner, guest blogger Gayle Curtiss, special education department head at Gaither High, suggests that the extra time actually would be much greater, while also going against several education "best practices." Check out her alternative idea, and let us know what you think.
"The district is continuing to move towards the plan of secondary teachers teaching 300 minutes. Planning goes forth despite the district being shown how this plan will diminish or practically eliminate, 1) effective best practices including mandated federal requirements of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), 2) attention to students' needs beyond academic concerns, and 3) retention and recruitment efforts. The mandated accountability and compliance measures and other tasks require
Coming up 2007-03-18 20:06:18 Monday: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee, 2:15 p.m.; Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee, 2:15 p.m. (these committees are to continue all week)
Tuesday: Pinellas School Board workshop, 10 a.m., Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; committees under House Schools and Learning Council, 8 a.m.; House Schools and Learning Council, 1 p.m.; State Board of Education, 8:30 a.m., Tallahassee
Wednesday: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee, 1 p.m.; Senate Higher Education Committee, 1 p.m.
March 26-27: Office of Early Learning, VPK curriculum approval committee training, Tallahassee
March 27: Hillsborough School Board workshop, 10 a.m.; Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee and Higher Education Committee, 3:15 p.m.
March 28: Senate Education Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Appropriations Committee, 8:30 a.m.; State University System Board of Governors, facilities and budget committees, 3 p.m., Gainesville
March 29: State University System Board of G
Tired of performance pay and career ed? 2007-03-18 16:03:11 Debate on different issues is on the way. The House education committees will turn their attention to end-of-course exams for high school sophomores, changes to gifted education and later start dates for FCAT next week, Rep. John Legg, a member of the Schools and Learning Council, tells the Gradebook. The language isn't out yet, but Legg assures that, though he's not optimistic about starting new programs, the tone is serious on moving these topics ahead. A charter school operator, Legg also intends to bring forth some legislation to put charter schools on more equal financial footing with the mainstream public education system. Specifically, he wants to make sure that charters have access to the state class-size reduction fund, seeing as they must meet the state's class size limits. Right now, the charter schools pay into the fund if they miss the goals, but they get no money from it. "We believe that's a huge constitutional issue," Legg said. "That's in direct violation of the u Read more:performance pay
Today's news 2007-03-18 11:22:54 TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT: Teachers in Little Rock, Ark., have quickly warmed to performance-based pay bonuses, suggesting that if the plan is right, it can work. Reporter Ron Matus writes about the Little Rock system.
SCHOOL STINKS: Literally. Kids at Chamberlain High in Tampa have to cope with sewer gas smells while they eat and while they walk down the halls. The a/c doesn't cool well, either, and the water boiler doesn't always heat. Students, and at least one School Board member, are seeking change.
COOL RUNNING: Wesley Chapel eighth-grader Sara Reamer plays soccer, volleyball and more for her middle school teams. But the 14-year-old is making her mark in a distinctly non-Florida sport - luge.
FROM THE EDITORIAL PAGES: Three of the six finalists for Hernando County superintendent misrepresented themselves on their applications. The editorial staff suggests that residents deserve better. In Pasco, the superintendent spent some time seeking to tweak the teacher dress code. The op Read more:Today
Today's news 2007-03-20 11:03:17 SHE WANTED NEW HUBCAPS: But Pinellas County teacher of the year Sherry Brock could not make herself vote for a performance bonus under STAR. She and some of the other teachers who overwhelmingly rejected more pay on principle explain why they stood together against the system, which is now being rewritten.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SOUGHT: Lawmakers call for an investigation into Florida A&M University as they review an audit report showing millions of dollars unaccounted for.
BUT DOES HE CLEAN UP AFTERWARD? Crystal River High senior Joshua Dawson won a regional battle of the chefs with his sauteed chicken in basil sauce, and now heads to Dallas to compete, Iron Chef style, with 22 other top teen chefs for a $40,000 scholarship.
HOPING TO BE HEARD: Deaf students from Land O'Lakes High head to Tallahassee to rally for a bill that would require all sign language interpreters to have a state license. Then they will meet with lawmakers to make their case in person.
GO SUCK ON A CANDY Read more:Today
The number of the week is ... 2007-03-19 19:05:16 ... 1. As in, a single set of academic standards for all the nation's public schools.
Right now, every school district sets its own curriculum, every state has its own standards. Some make tough demands on students, while others have lower expectations. The result is a mixed bag, where families can't know if they move from school to school what they'll get. Algebra might be sixth-grade fare in one district but high school math in another. Even if they're taught at the same grade level, there's no promise that you'll get the same level of depth and rigor wherever you go.
The numbers bear this out. Almost all Mississippi fourth-graders, for instance, meet their state's reading demands but the vast majority fall woefully short when measured by on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In Florida, by contrast, two-thirds of fourth-graders make the national mark, compared to 71 percent who are at grade level or above as determined by FCAT.
Noted education leaders Rudy Cr
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