Charter schools: The superintendent of the Schools of McKeel Academy resigns following an investigation. The Ledger. A Polk County charter school helps students find job success. The Ledger. A group that wants to open a charter school at MacDill Air Force Base pitches its proposal to the Tampa Bay Times’ editorial board.
Private schools: The Hillel Academy, a private Jewish school in Hillsborough County, is collecting books and money to help an elementary school library in Botswana, Africa. The Tampa Tribune. Students from a Hillsborough County private Catholic middle school help 16 organizations and charities. The Tampa Tribune.
Magnet schools: A new performing arts high school could be on the horizon in Miami-Dade County. Miami Herald. A Workforce Education Expo attracts thousands of students from more than 100 Polk County school academies. The Ledger.
Special needs: This 3,500-student high school in Seminole County has at least four mentoring programs that bring together students with and without disabilities. Orlando Sentinel.
Governor’s race: Democratic candidate Charlie Crist says education and the economy are the most important issues. StateImpact Florida.
Teacher pay: The Broward County School Board approves a plan that gives 14,000 teachers a 5 percent salary bump. Sun Sentinel.
Common Core: Florida school superintendents ask for three additional years to fully switch to the new math, English and literacy standards. StateImpact Florida. More from Tallahassee Democrat. Multiple well-known testing companies are eyeing Florida’s Common Core assessments, which are set to begin next school year. Tallahassee Democrat.
FLBOE: State Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan says goodbye to fellow members and calls education in Florida a contact sport. The Buzz.
Class size: Brevard County’s superintendent defends the district’s decision not to meet the state’s class size mandate. Florida Today.
Graduations: A Pinellas County student speaks out against a new policy for indoor graduations. Tampa Bay Times.
Athletic transfers: For the second time this school year, Hillsborough County school board members debate the district’s athletic transfers policy. Tampa Bay Times.
Lawsuits: Lee County agrees to pay a former administrator $27,500 to avoid a lawsuit. Fort Myers News-Press.
Superintendents: Hernando County’s superintendent hosts her first town hall meeting. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards: A call for a change in leadership by a former state education commissioner and others is rejected by the majority of the Clay County School Board which instead re-elects Carol Studdard as chairwoman. Florida Times-Union. The Escambia County School Board’s new chairwoman is the first African-American woman to head the board in the district’s 143-year history. Pensacola News-Journal.
Cell towers: As parents voice health concerns, the Pasco school board delays a vote on a campus cell tower. Tampa Bay Times.
ESE students: Special needs students at a Hillsborough County high school run their own business: a coffee delivery service called The Brew Crew. The Tampa Tribune.
School spending: The Palm Beach school board tables a decision to renew lobbyists’ contracts. Palm Beach Post. Lee County school board members are leaning toward a half-cent sales surtax referendum. Fort Myers News-Press.
Awards: A Miami-Dade high school principal receives the 2013 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award from the Council for Educational Change. Miami Herald.
Conduct: A Seminole County high school math teacher who displayed a crude, wooden carving in class is fired. Orlando Sentinel. Questions surround a former Hillsborough County high school principal and the death of his wife. Tampa Bay Times.
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