By Emily Bloch, Florida Times-Union, June 11, 2021 A new rule in Florida that will place tougher guidelines on how teachers deliver U.S. history lessons was approved Thursday. Public officials have touted the law as a way to get critical race theory — a movement that examines the intersections of race, law and equity — out of…
By John Kennedy, Capital Bureau, USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA, May 28, 2021 TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to declare victory on another front in what critics call a culture war – with his administration expected to approve new limits on how racial history is taught in Florida schools. The Republican governor has spent weeks ridiculing “critical race theory,”…
School closures, and economic shutdowns will cause measurable income losses for today’s students, two economics experts told Charlotte County Dems in an online discussion. Dr. Phalin, economics and international business professor at the Warrington Business College, University of Florida, said the economic effects of COVID-19 could be estimated by looking at the economic effects of…
Remember High School Civics Class? I had it Twice in High School (9th Grade Civics and 12th Grade Problems of Democracy). Then again In college (American Government). Florida Legislature passed a law requiring Civil Literacy in 2017 in an effort to ensure the electorate had a passable understanding of how our government works. A good…
Critics of our public schools point to the poor performance of the schools in impoverished areas while simultaneously diverting taxes into various voucher programs that hamstring the schools. Privatization proponents have found multiple ways to funnel funding away from our schools including a dollar for dollar write corporate tax off to donate to voucher programs.
Florida Public Education: “We can agonize or organize.” Over 1300 participants, including teachers, parents, pastors, school board members, administrators, civic organizations, and legislators convened to form action strategies to support public education in Florida.
The outcome of the vote in the Florida State House this week was a foregone conclusion: A proposal to allow teachers to carry firearms in school would easily win approval. But that did not mean the debate would not be long and emotional, as Democrats implored Republicans in the majority to consider the possible risks…
To the surprise of no one, the Florida Legislature boosted the fortunes of private schools this week as the House approved a new voucher program without a thought to whether those schools are doing a good job of teaching kids. The new program is aimed at middle-class families, and it’ll draw up to $130 million directly from…
Florida House committee voted Thursday for a broad school safety bill that would expand an existing guardian program to allow classroom teachers to volunteer to carry weapons on campus if local school boards approve. The Republican-led legislation adopted 11-5 along party lines by the House Education Committee builds on a law passed after last year’s…
Folks, SB 7070 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education on Tuesday, March 19 at 10 AM. This bill has a number of provisions, the most egregious of which would greatly expand taxpayer-funded school vouchers. This means that our public school funding would be sacrificed to pay for vouchers. WHAT…
The Republican-led Florida legislature is considering education legislation that could alter the school landscape in the state. SB 7070 is an omnibus bill that is loaded with ideas that advocates of public education oppose… (Read more in WashingtonPost.com)
Get ready for a fight. Florida’s public education system is at stake. A chasm over education big enough to swallow a Volkswagen has opened in the Florida Legislature, and this year’s tussle over the more than $20 billion the state spends annually on schools promises to be particularly acrimonious. (Read more in OrlandoSentinel.com)
When Valerie Chuchman moved to Florida from Wisconsin eight years ago, her new principal joked that while she was taking a significant salary cut, she would be repaid in sunshine. Unfortunately, the Riverview High School chemistry teacher said, sunshine doesn’t pay the bills. And if she’s still living paycheck to paycheck after 21 years, she…
Editor’s note: The following opinion article was written by Kim Amontree, Charlotte County School Board, District 2. The Charlotte County DEC supports passage of the referendum in the Nov. 6, 2018 Election. Taking Our Schools from Good to Great with the Yes for Success Voter Referendum By Kim Amontree, Charlotte County School Board, District…