The superintendent of the 6th largest school district in the nation is always on-message. But, parents want to know the real deal on Robert Runcie’s priorities for leading Broward Schools. In our interview he was frank, undistracted and forthcoming on his agenda. From the challenges to change education, to his views on the new federal administration, he made no bones about public […]
Florida Parents (and Others, Potentially) Get Easier Access to School Grade Info
by Lane Wright, editor at Education Post, a nonprofit fostering better conversation for better education. Do your kids go to a good school? “Good” depends on who you ask, of course, but if you’re interested in knowing how well a school is helping kids pass reading, math, and science courses, or helping them grow academically, […]
The Littlest Lady Wins the Biggest Prize- Elaine Saef, Broward Principal of the Year 2017
The leadership of a principal permeates the school building. Elaine Saef pours her heart and soul into Panther Run Elementary. And, when she finaled for 2017 Principal of the Year, about a third of the over 1000 guests came just to support her. Her win was a raucous celebration of love. “This school is family. Everyone is […]
The ESSA School Bells Are Ringing and There’s No Sign of Florida
States begin submitting their plans for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) today, but I have no clue what’s happening with Florida’s. The ESSA plan tells the Department of Education (DOE) how we intend to measure student achievement and school performance. It is the roadmap for school accountability. And, Florida has a lot of latitude to change things. It’s unsettling to not know what my state is up […]
Florida’s Vanishing Students and the Graduation Rate Scam
Last Wednesday, the Florida commissioner of education announced a statewide investigation. Some schools are allegedly manipulating their graduation rates by pushing struggling students, many in their senior year, to switch to alternative schools so they don’t drag down the school’s graduation statistics. If you don’t know, alternative schools exist to help students with behavioral issues, […]
The Education Budget Is Out: New Story, Same Old Victims.
The Department of Education budget blueprint was announced yesterday. It was very predictable and low-income students are the ones at risk. Let’s break it down: Poor Kids Just Lost Extra Help and Teachers Lost Some Trainings $13 Billion dollars are being cut mainly from afterschool and summer programs. FYI, these after school programs provide much needed variation in learning through smaller group student […]
On The Way To School Choice the DOE Just Kicked Over All The Signs Parents Need To Choose Schools
The Department of Education (DOE) no longer requires each school to report one overall score or rating of their performance, and as a parent I feel cheated. Why? Because there was no replacement offered to give parents an easy way of knowing how our schools are doing. It’s fine if the new DOE administration doesn’t feel the method of single-rating is useful to […]
Lawmakers Seek to Repeal, but Not Replace, Parts of School Accountability Law
by Lane Wright, editor at Education Post, a nonprofit fostering better conversation for better education. The state senator sponsoring a new education bill in Florida is very adamant about one thing: “This is not a retreat on accountability.” Sen. Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee) repeated it three different times during a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Tallahassee, […]
Accountability May Be Hard for Legislators, But It’s Pretty Clear for Parents. Respect Me as a Consumer Who Has Choices.
I was 14 when I came to this country and entered high school. It wasn’t until my senior year that I learned I had completed all my required course load early. I had no idea I could have participated in dual-enrollment, or even started college one year earlier. In this instance, the system failed me. Fast forward […]