This post appeared originally on The Capitolist. Amendment 8 may not be on the ballot come November, but we can’t ignore the issue it was trying to address. Charter schools have a legitimate place in our state. They’re written into our laws because they give families a public-school option (and hope) when their zoned school […]
I won’t be part of a Democratic Party that bashes school choice
This post written by Catherine Durkin Robinson originally appeared on the RedefinED blog. I’ve been a militant advocate, organizer and member of the Democratic Party for 30 years. A few months ago, I quit identifying as a Democrat. It had been building within me for a while. I could no longer stomach the Democratic Party’s support […]
Florida’s Poorest Students Are Among the Nation’s Highest Achieving, So Why Won’t DeVos Approve Their State Plan?
It looks like the feds are having a hard time figuring out what to do with Florida. After California and Utah’s education plans were approved last week, Florida is now the only state that still hasn’t gotten the green light. Florida officials sent in their first attempt at the federally required school accountability plan back […]
If You Want Great Schools, Build Great School Climates
Seeds don’t grow in bad soil. It doesn’t matter how much water or sunlight you give them or how much you drown them in Miracle-Gro. If you plant a seed in rocky soil, don’t expect much to happen. School climate – characterized by high expectations, positive relationships, student engagement, and more – is the soil […]
Miami Bolsters School Safety With First New Officers Since Parkland Shooting
Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department just swore in seven new officers, Tuesday. As this article from CBS Miami states, these officers are the first to join the force since the February 14 mass murder at in Parkland, Florida. But they were not brought in as part of Florida’s new law to increase safety in our […]
The Best High-Poverty Public Schools in Florida – 2018
Florida’s department of education judges schools on an A-F scale. But not all As are created equal. I’m not trying to take anything away from higher-income areas, but it’s not as hard to help rich and middle class kids succeed in school as it is to help students from poor families. And historically, low-income students, […]
Mo Money, Mo Problems For Some States, But Better Schools in Florida
The other day I imagined myself rich enough to be looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of a plush mansion on the beach and shaking my head, solemnly, as I whisper to myself. “Biggie and P. Diddy were right, man. Mo money. Mo Problems.” I’m pretty sure I would love to be that rich and […]
Some Teachers Are Making a Big Mistake With Recent Tenure Study
Some teachers in Florida are holding up a new study by the Brookings Institute as proof that state leaders should stop meddling with certain parts of our education system. They shouldn’t. The title of the report raises a provocative question: Did Tenure Reform In Florida Improve Student Test Scores? Read a couple paragraphs in and […]
The Push for Better Schools Is Paying Off in Florida
If you live in Florida, and especially if you have children here, there’s good news for you (well, for us): Florida schools are getting better. Maybe you’ve noticed recent news lamenting the fact that students in this country, on average, have made virtually no progress in the last decade. All the charts and graphs show […]
At KIPP Jacksonville, #CollegeSigningDay Starts in Fifth Grade
This post originally appeared on Education Post One by one, 34 high school seniors walked across the stage set up in the gymnasium at KIPP Jacksonville’s campus. Whoops, screams and vigorous applause nearly drown out Pharrell’s “Happy” blasting through the speakers. They found their seats and looked out into a crowd of middle and elementary […]