Because parents know it takes a village.
I’m so mad I could spit nails. Today US News and World Report released the 2017 Ranking on Top Public High Schools. And all of a sudden every one is all aglow about charters dominating the list. Listen, I’m all for charter schools. I’m all for ANY quality school that meets my child’s needs and believes they can […]
by Lane Wright, editor at Education Post, a nonprofit fostering better conversation for better education. If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on in the case of the Opt-Out moms versus the state of Florida, it’s that Michelle Rhea’s daughter can read just fine. Last year, Florida education officials said she needed to be […]
The first round of ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) plans have been submitted to the feds. Florida is not one of them, opting to wait until the fall along with more than 30 other states. So far, every state’s plan looks different due to the new choice-buffet for student performance measurement. And, honestly, it’s making me crazy-anxious. Education Week covers […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]